Principal Research & Development Engineer, Aerospace Mechanical Engineering

About the Opportunity

The Kostas Research Institute (KRI) at Northeastern University (NU) – a rapidly growing institute that conducts cutting-edge applied R&D – is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Principal Research & Development (R&D) Engineer with expertise in Mechanical Engineering. The Principal R&D Engineer is expected to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and contribute to the successful execution of R&D projects. Level of hire will be based on education and experience.

Responsibilities include providing subject matter expertise and technical contributions as an aerospace robotics mechanical engineer for a wide range of projects requiring airframe design, payload design, DFM, troubleshooting, electronics integration, electro-optics integration, propulsion design, subsystems testing and systems level testing V&V  The Senior R&D Engineer will work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams across the KRI consortium, consisting of academic and industry partners, to create solutions and prototypes for projects in these application areas.

Successful candidates will be responsible team leaders, passionate about cutting-edge/emerging computer hardware and software technologies, possess a deep understanding of software architectures and experience in turning such technologies into practical, state-of-the-art systems. A close working relationship with and support of KRI Senior R&D Engineers/Scientists for government and industry contracts will be required.

The Kostas Research Institute was founded, focusing on homeland security research and development. Today, KRI strives to advance resilience in the face of 21st-century risks across a wide range of technologies, emphasizing a collaborative approach that leverages our R1 university intellectual capital and technologies to develop application-specific solutions to customer needs. KRI focuses on satisfying customer-driven needs by co-locating a diverse, highly skilled R&D team that can address all aspects of a particular problem across the full range of technology-readiness levels. KRI headquarters, located at the NU Innovation Campus in Burlington, MA (ICBM), is home to one-of-a-kind research and test facilities for conducting activities related to cognitive and distributed RF signal processing and machine learning, unmanned and autonomous system technologies, as well as quantum materials and sensing.

This position is with KRI at Northeastern University, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NU. The primary office for this position is located at NU’s ICBM. Through NU, KRI offers an impressive benefits package, including multiple retirement plan options with extremely generous matching, as well as tuition waivers for classes and advanced degree programs. A full description of available benefits can be found on the NU website .

Required Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• B.S. Electrical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience.

Skills/Attributes

• Proficiency in UAS airframe design including rotorcraft and multirotor systems.
• Experience in UAS electromechanical integration.  
• Experience with heatsink design.
• Experience with lightweight RF shielding design.  
• Experience with propulsion sizing and design.  
• Experience with system design approach.
• Proficiency in developing, testing, and deploying small unmanned aerial systems.
• Experience polymer and metallic additive manufacturing.
• Proficiency in solid modeling and simulation.
• Ability to lead a small team of engineers and share knowledge with others.
• Self-motivated and capable of independently planning and executing technical projects.
• Ability to quickly adapt in working with novel/emerging technologies.
• Passion for developing new prototypes and solutions.
• A passion for learning and constantly expanding knowledgebase.
• US Citizenship with the ability to obtain a DoD security clearance.

Additional Desired Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• FAA Part 107 certification.

Skills/Attributes

• Experience with SolidWorks, EPDM.
• Experience with DFM as well as CNC Machining, composites, injection molded part design.
• Experience with FEA, and vibration modeling and testing.
• Experience with sUAS Testing.
• Experience with UAS payload design including integrated gimbal motors and cameras.
• Experience with robot environmental testing.

Position Type

Research

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.  

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff.  Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion. 

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other  characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity .