Junior Mechanical Engineer

Irradiant Technologies

$85K — $100K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
  • 0 - 2 years of relevant experience; internships and academic projects accepted.
  • Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Fusion 360).
  • Strong understanding of mechanical design fundamentals, including GD&T.
  • Hands-on experience with CNC, 3D printing, or related fabrication techniques.
  • Effective verbal and written communication skills for team collaboration.
  • Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or similar for data analysis.

Responsibilities

  • Assist in assembling and troubleshooting mechanical and optical subsystems.
  • Produce and maintain design documentation and revision control.
  • Design and prototype tools, fixtures, and opto-mechanical components.
  • Conduct tolerance and thermal analyses for performance evaluation.
  • Contribute to engineering workflows and design standards.
  • Support vendor relationships and sourcing of components.
  • Engage in continuous improvement of engineering practices.

Benefits

  • Equity in the form of stock options.
  • Annual company-funded health allowance for personalized coverage.
  • Standard four-week vacation policy with encouragement for regular PTO.
Full Job Description
Position Summary:

We are looking for a Junior Mechanical Engineer to support our mechanical and optical engineering teams in designing, prototyping, and building an advanced, ultra-high-speed lithographic printing tool. Working closely with senior engineers, you will contribute to prototyping efforts and help transition prototype designs toward scalable, manufacturable tools. Day-to-day, you will produce tolerance drawings, maintain revision-controlled bills of materials, support design validation and work instructions, and grow your skills across optics, electronics, precision mechanics, and nanofabrication.

This is a hands-on, mentorship-oriented role for an early-career engineer eager to learn quickly, take direction, and take on more ownership over time in a fast-paced deep-tech environment.
What You'll Do:
  • Support tool build and alignment. Assist senior engineers in assembling, aligning, and troubleshooting mechanical and opto-mechanical subsystems in our advanced lithographic tools, and help implement corrective design improvements.
  • Produce design documentation. Create and revise component and assembly drawings, apply GD&T, build tolerance stack-ups, and maintain bills of materials under senior engineers' guidance. Help prepare and submit documentation for revision control.
  • Prototype tools and fixtures. Help design, build, and test fixtures, tooling, and opto-mechanical parts for internal and customer projects, including hands-on prototyping with CNC and 3D manufacturing.
  • Contribute to analysis. Support tolerance, structural, thermal, and sensitivity analyses that keep tool performance within acceptable limits and learn to evaluate and apply active-alignment approaches.
  • Support continuous improvement. As a member of the engineering team, contribute to engineering workflows, design standards, and lab infrastructure.
  • Assist with vendors. Help source standard and custom optical and mechanical components and support existing supplier relationships.
What You'll Bring:
  • Education. Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field.
  • Experience. 0 - 2 years of relevant experience. Internship, co-op, or substantial academic project experience in mechanical design and hands-on build is welcome in place of full-time experience.
  • CAD. Working proficiency with CAD software such as SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Inventor, Autodesk Netfabb, or equivalent (coursework or project experience counts).
  • Engineering fundamentals. A solid grounding in mechanical design fundamentals - drawing practices, GD&T, and tolerancing.
  • Hands-on machining or fabrication experience (CNC, 3D printing, or additive manufacturing). Enthusiasm for lab work - prototype assembly, testing, and system troubleshooting.
  • Communication. Clear written and verbal communication and the ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team.
  • Analytical scripting. Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or a similar language for process automation and data analysis.
  • Learning mindset. An eagerness to learn, take direction, and grow in a fast-paced R&D environment.
Nice to Have:
  • Exposure to optical, imaging, microscopy, or laser systems and optical component design or test.
  • Familiarity with optical modeling and design tools such as Zemax or equivalent.
  • Experience with electrical, mechanical, or thermal simulation.
  • Experience using Asana for project and task management.
  • Coursework or background in aerospace, automotive, medical, or metrology device manufacturing.
Compensation & Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $85,000 - $100,000, and we are committed to equitable compensation across the company. Total compensation includes equity in the form of stock options. We administer benefits through Thatch, providing an annual company-funded allowance that gives employees the flexibility to choose the health plans and coverage that best fit their needs. We also offer a standard four-week vacation policy and encourage folks to take regular, meaningful PTO.
Team Research & Engineering Role Mechanical Locations HQ Yearly salary $85,000 - $100,000 Employment type Full-time

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