Digital Design & SoC Architecture
RF, Wireless & Photonics
Design mechanical hardware for free-space optical paths requiring sub-micron and microradian mechanical precision.
Originally posted 10 November 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As Staff Optomechanical Design Engineer, you will design the mechanical hardware of free-space optical assemblies from concept and tolerance analysis through prototype build and transfer to manufacturing. You will also develop metrology and active-alignment stations by designing fixtures, mounts, and hardware for sub-micron and microradian alignment.
What you'll do
- Design the OPU’s free-space optical path, including collimators, relay and imaging optics, and polarization optics.
- Translate optical prescriptions into mechanical architectures featuring datums, kinematic mounts, flexure mounts, and bonded sub-assemblies.
- Lead optomechanical tolerance analysis using RSS and Monte Carlo methods alongside optical design.
- Select materials, adhesives, and joining processes, supporting thermal and structural FEA and STOP analysis to predict alignment drift.
- Produce CAD models, GD&T drawings, and assembly documentation while qualifying precision optics and mechanical vendors.
- Design mechanical hardware for metrology and active-alignment stations, incorporating hexapods, nanopositioners, and machine vision.
What you'll need
- M.S. or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field (or B.S. with equivalent industry experience).
- 8+ years of hands-on optomechanical design of precision free-space optical systems, including at least one system taken from concept through qualification into production.
- Demonstrated design of mounts and sub-assemblies holding sub-micron and microradian alignment, including kinematic mounts, flexures, and bonded optics.
- Hands-on experience supporting active alignment and designing fixtures for optical metrology.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks or Creo), GD&T, working knowledge of FEA for thermal and structural analysis, and ability to read an optical prescription.
- Knowledge of materials, adhesives, and thermal behavior for optomechanical stability.
Nice to have
- Experience supporting automated alignment stations (hexapods, piezo nanopositioners, machine vision) and scripting alignment or measurement routines in Python or LabVIEW.
- Experience transferring alignment and assembly processes to contract manufacturers, including writing work instructions, acceptance criteria, and supporting yield ramp.
- Experience in a startup or early-stage hardware team building lab infrastructure and product hardware.
Skills: Optomechanical, Free-Space Optics, CAD, Active Alignment, Kinematic Mounts
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