Director, Mechanical Engineering

nEye.ai•Santa Clara, CA

5d•$210,000 - $290,000

About The Position

nEye.ai is a well-funded optical switch startup developing MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switches for data centers. The Director of Mechanical Engineering will own and drive the mechanical aspects of product development, serving as the technical authority for mechanical design, simulation, and manufacturing and as the central interface between mechanical engineering and other company teams. This role is suited to an accomplished individual contributor prepared to lead a small team, or an experienced manager who enjoys leading a focused team. Success will be measured by the team's accomplishments. The Director will build and organize the mechanical engineering team and guide it in creating robust, reliable designs for telecom and data center markets. The role owns stress, strain, modal, and thermal simulations and spans the product lifecycle, from concept development and vendor engagement through first article inspection and engineering change control. The Director will also collaborate with packaging experts and other engineers across the company.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
At least 7 years of hands-on experience in mechanical design and analysis.
At least 3 years of experience in a lead or management role.
Demonstrated leadership qualities specific to hiring and efficient design.
Experience designing mechanical systems for the telecom or data center industry.
Expert-level proficiency with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Creo, or Inventor.
Expert-level proficiency with finite element simulation software such as Ansys, SolidWorks Simulation, or COMSOL.
Demonstrated expertise in thermal management and simulation for electronic systems.
Proven experience in analytical mechanical design, including designing for low-stress mounting, shock, and vibration.
Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including precision machining, extrusion, sheet metal, and molding technologies.
Direct experience managing vendors and performing first article inspections.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of industry standards for shock, vibration, and thermal testing, such as Telcordia.
Experience with advanced materials and adhesives for specialized applications.
Excellent communication and technical documentation skills, including the ability to present designs and simulation results to cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

Design precision mechanical components and assemblies that support MEMS and silicon photonic devices.
Develop enclosures, mounting structures, fiber management solutions, and thermal hardware for high-performance optical systems.
Drive mechanical designs from concept through prototype, validation, and production.
Build and organize the Mechanical team to support multiple products and projects.
Select, develop, and work closely with third-party outsourcing partners to supplement internal resources.
Refine and run the nEye NPD process for the Mechanical team.
Identify critical mechanical, thermal, and dynamic simulation needs.
Lead structural, thermal, and vibration simulations using finite element analysis tools.
Analyze stress, strain, thermal performance, and assembly reliability.
Optimize designs for manufacturability, robustness, and long-term reliability.
Lead design tradeoff studies using simulation and experimentation.
Define and manage the build, assembly, and evaluation of engineering prototypes.
Work with engineers and manufacturing partners to debug mechanical issues.
Conduct root cause analysis of prototype and field failures.
Iterate designs based on test data and engineering feedback.
Collaborate with vendors on precision-machined, sheet-metal, molded, and fabricated parts.
Own first article reviews, part approvals, and manufacturing documentation.
Support engineering change orders (ECOs).
Help transition designs from prototype to production.