The Role and Your Impact:We need a Mechanical Engineer focused on design ruggedization across Archimedes - survivability across shock, vibration, moisture, and environmental extremes for a fiber laser system in a deployable, field-rugged package. MIL-spec is one of the harder problems in directed energy and a make-or-break domain for the platform. You'll work hands on from architecture through bench validation and field correlation.
What You'll Own:- Structural and mechanical design for survivability across MIL-STD shock, vibration, humidity, dust, and austere environments
- Ruggedization architecture across the laser source, laser head, and supporting subsystems
- Sealing, ingress protection, and moisture/corrosion mitigation strategies (IP ratings, conformal coatings, gasket design)
- Vibration isolation system design including isolator selection, snubbing, and modal analysis
- Shock analysis and design including fragility assessment, cushion design, and drop/transportation survivability
- FEA modeling including static, modal, random vibration, and shock response spectrum analysis
- Structural validation including instrumentation, test rigs, and correlation to model
- Trades between ruggedization performance, mass, stiffness, and packaging across the system
What We're Looking For:- 3 to 10+ years in mechanical engineering on ruggedized or field-deployable systems
- Strong FEA experience with ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent
- Hands on experience designing to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards
- Track record building and instrumenting structural test rigs and correlating model to bench
- Experience with sealing, EMI/EMC gaskets, conformal coating, and environmental protection design
- Experience designing enclosures and structures for field-deployable or military conditions
Where you probably come from: Defense hardware companies, airborne or ground vehicle systems, ruggedized electronics enclosures, directed energy programs, or field-deployed sensor or radar systems.
We want to talk if: You've designed a system that had to survive shock, vibration, and environmental extremes in a constrained, deployable package. You can model it, build it, instrument it, and correlate it.
Not a fit if: You've only done commercial or consumer product design, your work is simulation-only with no bench validation, or you've never designed to a MIL or DO-160 standard.
Nice to Haves:- Direct laser system or directed energy hardware experience
- MIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC design awareness for mechanical hardware integration
- Experience with optical bench or precision instrument ruggedization
- Field-deployable or vehicle-mounted system experience
Education:- BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field. PhD welcome but not required.
How You Operate:- Extreme bias for action. You'd rather build and instrument the rig tomorrow than model it for a month
- You characterize your own systems before the field does
- Comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment
- Clear communicator across mechanical, electrical, optical, and software teams
- Self directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told
How We Work:Core hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. When we're sprinting toward a demo or field test, the team ramps up - nights, weekends, whatever it takes to ship. When the sprint lands, we ramp down. We don't manufacture intensity for show.
Benefits:- Competitive salary and equity
- United Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Flexible 18 days PTO plus 5 sick days
- Travel to field test events and range days
- Covered daily lunches and office snacks and drinks
- E-bike and scooter stipend up to $500
- Direct access to leadership and real ownership over your work
