Principal Mechanical Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of precision electrooptic packages, including laser modules, photodetector assemblies, optical transceivers, and photonic subsystems.
• Design high-precision mechanical components (housings, mounts, alignment features, fiber coupling interfaces, and thermal management structures) with submicron level accuracy and stability.
• Perform detailed tolerance stackup analysis, GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing), and mechanical FEA (structural, thermal, vibration, and shock).
• Develop advanced packaging concepts for electrooptic devices, including hermetic and nearhermetic sealing, active/passive optical alignment strategies, and CTEmatched material systems.
• Collaborate closely with Optical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Process Engineers, and Materials Scientists to optimize optomechanical performance and manufacturability.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) strategies for precision components using CNC machining, micromachining, additive manufacturing, laser welding, and other advanced processes.
• Lead failure mode analysis (FMEA), reliability testing, and root cause investigations for mechanical and packaging-related issues.
• Mentor and technically guide junior and senior mechanical engineers on best practices in precision design and electrooptic packaging.
• Work with manufacturing and supply chain teams to transition designs from prototype to high-volume production while maintaining precision and yield targets.
• Stay current with emerging technologies in photonic packaging, microoptics, and advanced materials.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (PhD preferred).
• 10+ years of relevant industry experience in precision mechanical design and manufacturing.
• Strong background in device-level Electro-Optic or Photonic packaging (highly preferred).
• Expert-level proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, or NX) and simulation tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, or COMSOL).
• Deep knowledge of precision engineering principles, including:
• Submicron alignment and positioning mechanisms
• Kinematic design and flexure mechanisms
• Thermal management in compact optical packages
• Material selection for optical stability (low CTE, low outgassing)
• Proven experience with precision manufacturing processes (5-axis CNC, EDM, laser micromachining, diamond turning, etc.).
• Strong understanding of GD&T per ASME Y14.5 and statistical tolerance analysis.
• Experience with fiber systems including fiberoptic module manufacturing.
• Comfortable with driving vendors to meet design requirements.
• Background in aerospace, defense, medical device, or semiconductor capital equipment (precision motion systems).
• Hand-on experience with optical alignment automation, active alignment systems, or laser welding processes.
• Familiarity with reliability standards (Telcordia, MILSTD, JEDEC).
• Track record of taking precision mechanical designs from concept through successful volume production.