LEAD MECHANICAL ENGINEEROur hardware platform demands mechanical systems engineered for micron-scale precision and high-volume automated manufacturing from the start. We are seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to own mechanical development across our hardware platform-personally designing and analyzing critical assemblies while building and leading the team that delivers them. You will architect mechanical systems that integrate high-precision optics, photonics, and advanced packaging into products explicitly designed for scalable, autonomous manufacturing with minimal manual intervention.
RESPONSIBILITIES:Technical & Product Ownership
- Lead mechanical execution from concept through production ramp, personally designing and analyzing high-impact components and assemblies
- Translate product architecture into mechanical system strategy, defining the packaging approach and tolerance architecture across optical, electrical, and mechanical interfaces
- Architect electro-mechanical assemblies for highly automated, scalable manufacturing-ensuring designs enable autonomous assembly, precision placement, micron-scale metallurgical processes, and robust DFM execution
- Lead structural, thermal, and reliability analysis and decision-making; identify mechanical risks early and define validation strategies to retire them
- Drive design-for-manufacturability, design-for-assembly, and design-for-test across the mechanical subsystem; own supplier readiness from prototyping through production ramp
- Interface with optical, electrical, firmware, and process engineering teams to define system-level interfaces, integration constraints, and co-design trade-offs
Team Leadership
- Provide day-to-day technical leadership to a small and growing team of mechanical engineers who own scoped subsystems
- Lead design reviews and ensure subsystem designs align with system-level requirements, schedule, and quality targets
- Establish mechanical design standards, documentation discipline, and review rigor across the team
- Mentor engineers, raise the technical bar, and contribute to hiring and growth of the mechanical function
QUALIFICATIONS:- Bachelor's or Master's degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline
- 4+ years of experience designing complex hardware systems, with demonstrated ownership of major subsystems or full products through production ramp
- Strong first-principles foundation in mechanics of materials, heat transfer, and tolerance analysis
- Experience designing tight-tolerance precision assemblies with multi-domain interfaces (optical, electrical, thermal, or mechanical)
- Proficiency in professional 3D CAD tools (NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent)
- Proficiency in structural analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical or equivalent FEA)
- Experience working directly with suppliers and contract manufacturers to drive production readiness and component qualification
- Experience leading technical efforts across cross-functional hardware teams
- Experience mentoring engineers or leading small technical teams
- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:- Experience in optical, photonic, semiconductor, or high-performance computing hardware development
- Experience with high-density packaging, advanced thermal management, or chip-on-carrier/module-level mechanical integration
- Thermal simulation experience (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, Icepak, Fluent, or equivalent CFD tools)
- Experience designing for highly automated assembly environments, including familiarity with robotic pick-and-place, precision alignment, and in-line inspection constraints
- Experience with optomechanical design, including kinematic mounting, athermalization, or fiber-to-chip alignment fixturing
- Familiarity with materials selection for photonic or semiconductor-adjacent applications, including CTE matching, outgassing, and cleanliness requirements
- Experience with reliability qualification methodologies (e.g., HALT, HASS, or Telcordia-style environmental testing)
- Familiarity with configuration management, engineering change processes, and PLM tools
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:Pay range:
Lead Mechanical Engineer: $160,000.00 - $190,000.00/per year
Title and base salary are determined on a case by case basis commensurate with experience and merit.
In addition to base salary, compensation for this role includes:
- Eligibility for long-term incentives including company stock options and discretionary bonuses awarded for exceptional achievements.
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance with significant cost covered by the company for yourself and dependents.
- Paid parental leave and flexible PTO (3 weeks accrued vacation and 10 company holidays per year).
- 401(k) retirement plan access.
- Relocation assistance to sunny Los Angeles.
