Duties & Responsibilities:

Sr. Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Advanced Optical Development Group

SUMMARY

VIAVI Solutions has a 100+ year history of technical innovations that have evolved to keep pace and address our customers’ most pressing business issues. We make equipment, software, and systems that help to plan, deploy, certify, monitor, and optimize all kinds of networks - like those for mobile phones, service providers, large businesses and data centers. VIAVI is also a leader in high performance thin film optical coatings and engineered diffusers, providing light management technologies to the bank note security, consumer electronics, automotive, defense and instrumentation markets.  

The Optical Security and Performance Products (OSP) business segment of VIAVI leverages its core technology strengths of optics, vacuum coatings, and materials science to deliver innovative and differentiated technologies that manipulate light to improve the performance of sensors, to shape light from high performance light sources, and to create unique visual effects.  With over seven decades of experience in optical coating technology, VIAVI OSP is a customer focused, market driven enterprise serving attractive and sustainable market sectors including banknote security, consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, and defense/aerospace. VIAVI OSP’s customers include global

The Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer is responsible for the design, development, analysis, and testing of complex mechanical systems that integrate optical components such as filters, lenses, lasers, and sensors. This role is crucial in ensuring precise alignment, stability, and thermal management to optimize optical performance across various applications, from aerospace/defense to handheld spectrometers and consumer electronics.  They will work with various cross-functional teams to ensure designs meet stringent performance, safety, and manufacturability requirements. Additionally, the Sr. Opto-Mechanical Engineer may support development and commercialization efforts for other products and applications that leverage VIAVI’s proprietary vacuum deposition capabilities.

Pre-Requisites / Skills / Experience Requirements:

Key Responsibilities

• Design and development of opto-mechanical systems, including conceptualization, feasibility studies, detailed design, prototyping, and testing.

• Create detailed mechanical engineering drawings and layouts, ensuring proper application of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and adhering to relevant design standards (e.g., ISO, MIL specifications).

• Lead or participate in the entire design process, including requirements specification, feasibility studies, conceptual and detailed design.

• Perform engineering analysis to understand the impact of loads and environmental factors (structural, thermal, vibration) on the optical/mechanical system performance.

• Utilize Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software (e.g. SolidWorks Simulation) for structural, thermal, and vibration modeling of complex assemblies.

• Conduct tolerance stack-up analyses, potentially including Monte Carlo analysis, to verify design capability within manufacturing and operational conditions.

• Apply optical modeling software (e.g., Zemax) to simulate and optimize optical performance under various conditions.  Extensive knowledge of optical design tools is not required but highly desirable.

• Work with manufacturing teams to break down complex assemblies into logical subassemblies and subprocesses, considering manufacturing capabilities, cost, and requirements.

• Interact with customers and suppliers, presenting technical information, and contributing to technical reviews.

• Travel 10% for in-person meetings with customers

• Position reports out of Santa Rosa

Background/Experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field with greater than 5 years’ experience in opto-mechanical design.

• In-depth knowledge of precision mechanical design principles, including kinematic design, adhesives, vacuum technology, and precision machining.

• High proficiency in CAD tools such as SolidWorks, AutoDesk, Creo, etc. and experience with FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS, SolidWorks Simulation) for structural, thermal, and vibration analysis.

• Strong understanding of optical principles, including geometrical optics, physical optics (ray aberrations, waves, diffraction), and lasers. Experience with optical design software and ray tracing (e.g., Zemax, Code V)

• Must be U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. “Green Card Holder”), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

If you have what it takes to push boundaries and seize opportunities, apply to join our team today.