Senior Mechanical Engineer IV - Communications

Carpentersville, IL (On-site)

$110K/yr – $125K/yrFull time

Posted 7 weeks ago

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Job Description

Senior Mechanical Engineer IV – Communications

Why join OTTO Engineering?

  • At OTTO, we don’t just manufacture products—we engineer mission-critical solutions with precision and pride. Our Communications Division designs and manufactures ruggedized, application-specific communication systems built to perform when failure isn’t an option, serving the military, law enforcement, public safety, and industrial customers worldwide.
  • As a core value, we focus on delivering for our customers through innovative technology, superior quality, value, and responsiveness … as a result, our growth continues!
  • Employees are our greatest asset, which is why we share our company’s profits to celebrate our collective success.
  • As a privately-owned company, we are proud to invest significantly in our community and in our own growth, focusing on long-term business success.
  • We are proudly American!

You’ll love our Engineering Team!

Join a team where your engineering talent directly supports the people who protect and serve. At OTTO Engineering, we design and build innovative communications and power‑management products used by Public Safety professionals and Military teams around the world. You’ll help create rugged, reliable, and innovative products that professionals depend on every day. If you’re excited by meaningful engineering challenges and the chance to build technology that truly matters, this role is a great fit.

Specifically, we are seeking experience with …

  • Mechanical CAD (CREO preferred)
  • Plastics, elastomers, die‑cast metals, overmolding, and mechanical integration with PCBs
  • DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, and environmental/ruggedization requirements
  • Leading complex engineering projects with minimal supervision

As our Senior Mechanical Engineer IV, you will lead the mechanical design, development, and validation of ruggedized communication products—including speaker microphones, PTT devices, tactical headsets, and electromechanical assemblies—used in mission‑critical environments. The Senior Mechanical Engineer IV owns system‑level architecture, manages multiple product development efforts from concept through production release, and provides technical leadership across engineering, manufacturing, quality, vendors, and customers. This role requires high autonomy, advanced engineering expertise, and the ability to mentor and guide lower‑level engineers.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer IV will:

  • Define mechanical design concepts, system architectures, and performance specifications for ruggedized communication products that meet or exceed customer and marketing goals.
  • Establish project schedules, milestones, and deliverables, ensuring alignment with customer expectations and internal development timelines.
  • Perform advanced engineering analyses, including stress modeling, tolerance stack‑ups, thermal and environmental modeling, and statistical evaluation of test data using manual methods and CAE tools.
  • Develop complete 3D CAD layouts of assemblies, subassemblies, and detailed components using CREO; review and approve designs created by lower‑level engineers.
  • Prototype, test, and iterate designs to meet IP‑rated sealing, MIL‑STD durability, drop, vibration, and thermal cycling requirements.
  • Prepare and approve engineering documentation, including drawings, BOMs, ECNs, specifications, and verification reports.
  • Lead cross‑functional coordination across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, vendors, and customers to achieve project goals.
  • Provide production and quality support, including root‑cause analysis, design improvements, and process troubleshooting for existing products.
  • Participate in and guide MRB activities, including discrepant material reviews and component analysis.
  • Serve as a technical leader, mentoring Mechanical Engineer I–III team members and driving engineering best practices.
  • Assist with other related duties as required or assigned.

About you - What you’ll bring to the table:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
  • Minimum 7 years of mechanical engineering experience, including extensive use of mechanical CAD (CREO preferred).
  • Expertise in plastics, elastomers, die‑cast metals, overmolding, and mechanical integration with PCBs.
  • Strong understanding of DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, and environmental/ruggedization requirements.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead complex engineering projects with minimal supervision.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, hands‑on engineering environment.

What OTTO offers for this specific position:

The hiring range listed in this posting is what we, in good faith, anticipate relying on when confirming a base salary for this position; exceptions may be considered for highly experienced candidates with multiple years of at-level experience.

  • Target base salary hiring range: $110,000 to $125,000, based on qualifications and experience.
  • Profit Sharing Bonus - OTTO believes that it’s fair to share the profits that the employees help to make; profit sharing is distributed to employees twice a year. OTTO’s profit sharing plan is paid at the discretion of the company and is not a guaranteed bonus or any part of a compensation plan.
  • Vacation: 120 hours - vacation time is earned on the anniversary date.

OTTO’s Benefits:

Health:

Medical Insurance-

  • HMO Plan
  • Standard PPO Plan
  • Enhanced PPO Plan
  • High Deducible PPO Plan
  • FSA, LFSA, and HSA

Dental Insurance-

  • Base Plan
  • Buy-Up Plan

Vision Insurance

401(k) with a company match

Life insurance:

  • Life/AD&D
  • Voluntary Life/AD&D
  • Short-Term Disability
  • Long-Term Disability

10 paid holidays

Company picnic

Holiday party

AND numerous OTTO celebrations throughout the year!

To review all of OTTO’s available opportunities,

please visit our career page by clicking on the link below:

https://otto-engineering-inc.breezy.hr/

OTTO Engineering is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran

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If you need an alternative method for applying, please contact OTTO Engineering via telephone at 847-428-7171 or email at HRDepartment @ ottoexcellence.com

These contact tools may be used only by individuals with a disability for accommodation requests; please do not inquire as to the status of an application.

OTTO Engineering does not accept unsolicited resumes from third party recruiters, agencies, or similar organizations; any submissions will not be honored.

OTTO Engineering logo

OTTO Engineering

OTTO Engineering -A Leaders and Innovator of Controls and Communications since 1961.-OTTO designs and manufactures controls solutions and two-way radio communication products for a variety of unique and standard applications. We are recognized worldwide for superior performance, pioneering products and outstanding customer service. On land, sea or air, customers rely on OTTO Controls' innovative switches and operator control solutions to deliver exceptional precision and performance. Customers in the Military, law enforcement, public safety and commercial markets depend on OTTO Communications' two-way radio accessories to deliver unsurpassed clear and secure communications. OTTO CONTROLSOTTO designs and manufactures a full line of switches and operator controls for demanding applications. Our switch product line includes digital and analog output, sealed and lighted, snap action, rocker, pushbutton, toggle and rotary switches. We provide operator control grips for military and commercial applications, including joysticks with Hall effect technology, J1939, CAN & PWM communication protocols.OTTO COMMUNICATIONSFor more than 20 years OTTO has been designing and manufacturing communications accessories, specializing in mission-critical equipment for the two-way radio market. OTTO is recognized worldwide for superior performance and innovative products. Every day OTTO’s communication accessories are put to the test by people in the field and on the front line. These mission-critical accessories are used in security and surveillance applications, and by public safety agencies such as police, emergency medical teams, fire and rescue, and HAZMAT. OTTO’s communications product line includes lightweight, heavy-duty and tactical headsets, remote speaker microphones, bone conduction systems, and surveillance kits, made to be compatible with almost all radio platforms.

Founded in 1961
Carpentersville, Illinois, USA
317 employees (19 in marketing)