Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer – Aerospace Gearing

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.   

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.   

Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.   

Estimated hourly base pay: $145,000 (Minimum) - $181,000 (Midpoint) - $218,000 (Maximum) 

• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity.   

• 401(k) match (4.5%)  

• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)  

• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members    

• 12 paid holidays 

• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire  

• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave.   

• Paid parental leave.   

• Adoption Assistance    

• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits.   

• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life   

• Member referral bonus   

• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending   

• Voluntary benefits, including:    

• Home / Auto Insurance discounts   

• Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave   

Key Responsibilities: 

Advanced Gear Process Development & Industrialization  

• Lead end-to-end development of aerospace-qualified gear manufacturing processes development including spur, helical, bevel, and spline gears. 

• Define and document: 

• Process flows, PFMEAs, control plans, and work instructions 

• Key Characteristics (KCs) and Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) features 

• Process capability requirements (Cp/Cpk) for critical gear geometry 

• Work cooperatively with gearing designs to improve performance & manufacturability of new gearing products 

• Develop and optimize machining processes including: 

• Hobbing, shaping, skiving, broaching 

• Profile and generating grinding 

• Honing, lapping, and superfinishing 

• Establish robust process control strategies for: 

• Tooth profile accuracy, pitch variation, lead/helix error 

• Surface finish, residual stress, and distortion control 

• Define machining parameters, tooling strategies, and thermal controls to ensure repeatability in ultra-tight tolerance aerospace components. 

• Lead process validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) and AS9102 First Article Inspection (FAI). 

• Drive continuous improvement: 

• Reduction of transmission error and gear noise 

• Improved process capability and yield 

• Implementation of advanced machining techniques and in-process monitoring 

Supplier Development & Special Process Management 

• Serve as technical authority for gear manufacturing suppliers and special process providers. 

• Lead supplier qualification and audit activities to ensure compliance with: 

• AS9100 quality systems 

• Aerospace customer requirements 

• Internal engineering specifications 

• Oversee and manage NADCAP-controlled special processes, including: 

• Heat treatment (carburizing, nitriding, induction hardening) 

• Shot peening and residual stress control 

• Surface treatments (coatings, plating, corrosion protection) 

• Non-destructive testing (MPI, FPI, ultrasonic) 

• Ensure detailed and accurate technical requirement flow-down, including: 

• Gear macro- and microgeometry specifications 

• Surface integrity and metallurgical requirements 

• Full traceability and certification needs 

• Partner with suppliers on: 

• Process capability improvement initiatives 

• Root cause corrective action (RCCA, 8D) 

• Monitor supplier performance via KPIs and support make vs. buy decisions. 

Quality Engineering & Inspection (Precision Components) 

• Define and implement advanced inspection strategies for aerospace precision components, with emphasis on gearing. 

• Establish and validate measurement systems (MSA, Gage R&R) for: 

• Gear profile, lead, pitch, runout, and composite error 

• Surface finish, waviness, and microgeometry 

• Utilize analytical inspection equipment (e.g., Klingelnberg, Gleason, Zeiss). 

• Ensure compliance with: 

• AGMA, ISO, DIN, and aerospace standards 

• Customer and regulatory requirements 

• Lead and support: 

• AS9102 First Article Inspection (FAI) 

• Internal, customer, and regulatory audits 

• Drive structured root cause investigations addressing: 

• Transmission error and NVH performance issues 

• Contact pattern deviations and load distribution 

• Surface distress, wear, and fatigue 

• Implement SPC and continuous monitoring of critical characteristics. 

• Ensure full traceability, documentation, and configuration control for flight hardware. 

Manufacturing & Technical Leadership 

• Provide hands-on support to resolve complex machining and finishing issues on the shop floor. 

• Collaborate with design engineering on: 

• Manufacturability (DFM) 

• Tolerance stack-up and performance requirements 

• Mentor engineers and technicians in aerospace manufacturing best practices. 

• Interface cross-functionally with Design, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management. 

Key Skills: 

• Effective written and verbal communication skills including presentations, (Customer, internal and management). Writes and communicates critical reports. Leads complex design reviews, internally and Customer. Expert technical writing skills (procedures, reports, etc.)  

• Competent complex problem solving/troubleshooting skills for both components and subsystems.  

• Promotes a cross-functional project team environment, communicates with Customers and leads small teams. May participate in setting technical direction/product strategies. Provides technical problems-solving guidance to others.  

• Strong expertise in: 

• Gear cutting and finishing processes 

• Gear metrology and inspection 

• GD&T and precision tolerancing 

• Experience with: 

• AS9100 quality systems 

• AS9102 FAI requirements 

• CNC and gear manufacturing equipment 

• NADCAP special processes and supplier audits 

• Familiarity with aerospace OEM requirements (Boeing, Airbus, etc.) 

• Lean Six Sigma certification 

• Advanced knowledge of gear analysis and inspection systems 

• Background in tribology and gear system performance 

Other Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 12+ years of applicable experience 

• Certified Technician or equivalent technical certification 

• Experience with precision ball screw manufacturing is preferred and adds value for aerospace actuation systems.  Familiarity with the following would be great to have: 

• Thread grinding, thread rolling, and whirling processes 

• Heat treatment and distortion control of long, slender components 

• Precision assembly, preload setting, and end-of-line functional testing 

• Lead accuracy, positioning error, backlash control, and preload optimization 

• Friction, efficiency, and wear characteristics in high-load applications 

• Lead measurement, travel variation analysis, preload verification, and torque-to-rotate testing 

• Precision measurement techniques similar to gearing 

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee). 

Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local laws.  

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