Senior Vibrations Test Engineer (R5091)

Job Description:

What you'll do:

• Lead the planning, execution, and analysis of vibration test programs supporting product development, qualification, and flight readiness.
• Design, build, and deploy instrumented test setups for vibration, modal, structural, and environmental testing using industry-standard measurement equipment.
• Execute shaker table testing including sine sweep, random vibration, sine-on-random, resonance search, dwell, and shock testing.
• Perform experimental modal analysis to characterize structural dynamics and validate finite element models.
• Develop fixture designs and test methodologies that accurately replicate operational loading conditions while minimizing fixture influence.
• Instrument hardware using accelerometers, strain gauges, force sensors, displacement sensors, and other dynamic measurement systems.
• Analyze vibration response data using frequency-domain and time-domain techniques to identify resonances, mode shapes, damping characteristics, and potential failure mechanisms.
• Partner closely with Mechanical Design and Structural Analysis engineers to correlate test results with analytical models and improve future designs.
• Investigate vibration-related hardware issues, perform root cause analysis, and recommend design improvements.
• Develop comprehensive test plans, procedures, reports, and technical presentations that clearly communicate results and engineering recommendations.
• Maintain vibration testing equipment, data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and calibration records.
• Support environmental qualification testing and other mechanical test activities as needed.

Required qualifications:

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Hands-on experience performing vibration testing of mechanical or aerospace systems through industry, research, internships, or competitive engineering projects.
• Experience operating electrodynamic shaker systems and associated vibration control software.
• Experience with accelerometers, signal conditioning, data acquisition systems, and dynamic instrumentation.
• Working knowledge of structural dynamics, vibration theory, modal analysis, and frequency response functions.
• Experience performing or supporting experimental modal testing and finite element model correlation.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-810 vibration and shock testing or equivalent aerospace qualification standards.
• Experience interpreting vibration data and identifying resonances, structural response characteristics, and failure modes.
• Working knowledge of CAD software (NX preferred).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate technical findings to multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of technical work, drive projects independently, and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Ability to obtain a Secret//Special Access Required (S//SAR) security clearance is desired.

Preferred qualifications:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related technical field with an emphasis in structural dynamics or vibration.
• Experience designing vibration test fixtures and specialized dynamic test equipment.
• Experience using vibration control and data acquisition platforms such as Data Physics, Brüel & Kjær (HBK), Crystal Instruments, m+p International, LMS/Simcenter Testlab, or similar systems.
• Experience with finite element analysis software (ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran, or equivalent) and test-analysis correlation.
• Experience with strain gauge testing, digital image correlation (DIC), or other advanced structural measurement techniques.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, UAV, or other high-reliability hardware development programs.
• Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE), root cause analysis, and failure investigation.