Sr. Staff Engineer, Mechanical Design
$150,000 - $180,000 USD yearly
About the role
This role involves the physical realization of optoelectronics products from concept through production, focusing on turning complex electrical and photonics systems into robust, manufacturable hardware.
What you'll do
- Own detailed mechanical design including 3D modeling, drawings, tolerancing, and documentation.
- Drive mechanical integration of electrical, optical, and thermal subsystems into cohesive product designs.
- Collaborate closely with EE, photonics, and systems teams to resolve cross-domain design challenges.
- Work hands-on with contract manufacturers (CMs) to develop tooling, jigs, and fixtures for build and test.
- Validate manufacturability (DFM/DFA) and drive design improvements for yield, cost, and reliability.
- Define assembly processes and ensure designs are production-ready.
What you'll need
- BS in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
- 6+ years of experience in mechanical design for complex hardware systems.
- Strong proficiency in CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo, NX) and GD&T.
- Experience with precision assemblies involving optics, electronics, or thermal components.
- Solid understanding of materials, tolerances, and manufacturing processes (CNC, injection molding, sheet metal, etc.).
- Experience working with CMs and taking products from prototype to production.
Nice to have
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- Optoelectronics product experience.
- Experience with optical or photonics packaging.
- Familiarity with thermal design and analysis.
- Experience in high-volume manufacturing environments.
More semiconductor jobs: Hardware design jobs · San Jose jobs
This role has been open 39 days — below the 46-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
1126
|
Median days open
46 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$150k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Ayar Labs | All employers we track in this specialty (1126 roles · 109 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 12 | 1126 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 24 | 6531 · 156 employers |
| Median days open | 51 d | 46 d (+5 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $150k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 88 open roles · median 33 d
- KLA Corporation · 66 open roles · median 59 d
- Applied Materials · 60 open roles · median 40 d
- ASML · 59 open roles · median 17 d
- NVIDIA · 58 open roles · median 74 d
- Teradyne · 58 open roles · median 51 d
How we counted: 1126 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 109 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 8 Nov 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.