PARADORN Mechanical Engineer – Product Development & Manufacturing White Plains, MD · Full time Company website

Apply for Mechanical Engineer – Product Development & Manufacturing

PARADORN, LLC is an engineer-led prototype and small batch manufacturing company based in White Plains, Maryland. We support defense, aerospace, and industrial customers with CNC milling and turning, Design for Manufacturing-collaboration, kitting, and clear project documentation.

What makes PARADORN stand out is our combination of engineering experience, hands-on manufacturing skill, and high standards for execution. We are a small team, which means every person has real impact. Our work is precise, practical, and mission-driven — helping customers move from concept to field-ready hardware with clear communication, reliable schedules, and quality parts.

Location:                 White Plains, Maryland

Type:                        Full-Time On-Site

Pay Range:             $90,000- $110,000 annually

Benefits:                  Available, more information below

Estimated Start Date Options:  

·     January, March, May, June or as negotiated during hiring.

*This listing will remain open until the position is filled.

About the Opportunity

This position will work closely with PARADORN’s technical leadership to develop solutions for a wide range of customer needs, from refining existing designs to creating new components, fixtures, mechanisms, and test hardware. The engineer will be expected to apply sound mechanical judgment, consider manufacturability throughout the design process, and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

As experience with PARADORN’s customers and capabilities grows, this role will take increasing ownership of engineering projects and customer technical discussions, with the opportunity to see projects through from initial requirements to finished hardware.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and refine mechanical designs from customer concepts, existing designs, sketches, technical requirements, or observed problems.
• Create 3D models in Autodesk Inventor and support the development of production drawings and technical documentation.
• Apply practical engineering judgment to material selection, fits, tolerances, interfaces, assembly methods, and overall mechanical function.
• Review designs for manufacturability and work directly with machinists and manufacturing personnel to improve part geometry, tolerances, work holding, and production approach.
• Design fixtures, assembly aids, test equipment, work holding, and other supporting hardware as needed.
• Participate hands-on in prototype assembly, testing, measurement, troubleshooting, and design iteration.
• Support design reviews and communicate technical recommendations, tradeoffs, risks, and proposed solutions.
• Participate in customer meetings and local onsite technical activities to better understand equipment, operating environments, and engineering requirements.
• Develop increasing independence in customer-facing technical discussions, with the goal of being able to attend meetings, identify the underlying engineering problem, and return with viable concepts or design options.
• Work closely with manufacturing personnel during prototype and initial-production builds to resolve issues and incorporate lessons learned into future revisions.
• Support technical presentations, design documentation, and customer deliverables as needed.
• Maintain organized engineering files, models, drawings, revisions, and project documentation.
• Protect sensitive information and follow data handling, confidentiality, export control, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Help mentor junior team members as PARADORN grows

You May Be a Good Fit If You:

• Enjoy understanding how mechanical systems actually work and like getting hands-on with hardware rather than spending your entire day behind a computer.
• Are naturally curious and willing to measure, test, disassemble, troubleshoot, research, and ask questions when the answer is not immediately obvious.
• Can move between big-picture product function and the detailed dimensions, materials, tolerances, and interfaces that make a design successful.
• Enjoy seeing your designs physically manufactured, assembled, tested, and improved.
• Are comfortable working in a small, growing company where engineers collaborate directly with machinists, customers, suppliers, and leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline.
• 2-5 years of relevant mechanical design, product development, manufacturing, prototyping, or hardware-development experience.
• Strong 3D CAD skills and ability to independently create mechanical models; Autodesk Inventor experience preferred but not required.
• Solid understanding of mechanical systems, engineering materials, basic manufacturing processes, dimensions, tolerances, and mechanical assembly.
• Ability and willingness to work directly with prototypes, tools, equipment, fixtures, and manufactured components.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Ability to travel to customer facilities as project needs require.

Preferred Experiences

• Hands-on development of mechanical products, mechanisms, fixtures, prototypes, or test equipment.
• Experience taking a design from concept through fabrication, assembly, testing, and design iteration.
• Experience working directly with machinists, technicians, fabricators, or manufacturing teams.
• Familiarity with CNC machining and designing parts with manufacturability in mind.
• Experience creating or reviewing engineering drawings and applying practical tolerances and GD&T.
• Experience with defense, aerospace, R&D, test and evaluation, robotics, maritime systems, or other hardware-intensive environments.
• Customer-facing engineering, field support, or onsite troubleshooting experience.
• Active or previously held U.S. Government security clearance is a plus.

What Success Looks Like:

During the first several months, this engineer will work closely with PARADORN’s technical leadership to learn our customers, manufacturing capabilities, engineering approach, and project workflows. As proficiency grows, the engineer will take increasing ownership of mechanical design and product-development efforts, participate directly in customer technical discussions, and independently develop practical design concepts and solutions.

Within approximately 6–12 months, a successful engineer would be capable of owning substantial portions of customer product-development projects—from understanding the problem and developing concepts through manufacturing support, prototype testing, and design iteration—while knowing when to involve senior technical leadership for particularly complex decisions.

This Role is NOT:

• A desk-only engineering position. You will spend time with physical hardware, prototypes, machinists, customers, and test activities in addition to CAD and design work.
• A narrowly defined design role. Projects may range from refining an existing part to developing a new mechanism, fixture, test setup, or solution to an open-ended customer problem.
• A role where designs are handed off and forgotten. Our engineers stay involved as designs are manufactured, assembled, tested, and iterated, and are expected to learn from what happens when a design meets the real world.

Schedule, Pay & Benefits

This position is full-time and on-site in White Plains, MD.

• Medical and dental insurance
• 401K with company match
• Paid time off, sick leave, and paid holidays

Compensation range: $90,000 - $110,000 annually, based on experience, skill level, and demonstrated capability.

Pay is based on experience and demonstrated capability, with compensation reviewed annually as part of PARADORN’s performance and growth process.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position primarily operates in an office environment within a manufacturing facility. The employee will regularly interface with the manufacturing team and will be exposed to normal manufacturing conditions, including moderate noise levels, moving equipment, tools, materials, and PPE requirements.

Personal protective equipment will be required, including safety glasses, appropriate footwear, hearing protection, and other PPE as directed.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand and walk for extended periods; use hands and fingers to handle tools, parts, materials, and inspection equipment; reach, bend, lift, carry, push, pull, and position materials or workpieces; read drawings, screens, measuring tools, and detailed documentation; and lift up to 50 lbs. with or without reasonable accommodation.

Travel

Occasional travel is expected for this position. Typically limited local travel that may occasionally be required for customer site support, training, or business needs. Overnight travel is estimated to be less than 5 days a year.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

PARADORN, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, business needs, and job-related requirements. PARADORN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Hiring Process

Applications are reviewed on an on-going basis with decisions released on the third Thursday of each month. Qualified candidates may be invited to participate in an initial conversation, in-person interview, shop tour, and/or practical skills exercise. The skills exercise may include drawing review, process planning, and/or related problem solving.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly. Applications are managed through Gusto so we can keep the hiring process organized and consistent. If you have any questions about the role or application process, please contact us at [email protected]