Mechanical Engineer (f/m/x)

Marvel Fusion•Fort Collins, CO

19h•$100,000 - $148,256•Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for a highly capable Mechanical/ Optomechanical Engineer to join our team and take the lead in designing and optimizing large, ultra-stable optical mounts for high-energy, ultra-short-pulse laser systems. This role requires expertise in mechanical design, vibration and thermal analysis and precision kinematics. You will collaborate closely with optical physicists and systems engineers to ensure the structural stability and adjustability of critical laser components under demanding operating conditions.

Requirements

Proven experience designing large, stable optical mounts or optomechanical assemblies for high-energy laser systems
Strong understanding of precision mechanical design and kinematics, including spatial and angular degrees of freedom, stiffness, backlash, repeatability, and alignment.
Experience with thermal and thermo-mechanical simulation, including temperature gradients, thermal expansion, heat transfer, cooling concepts, and resulting structural deformation.
Good understanding of engineering materials and their relevant properties, including CTE, stiffness, thermal conductivity, dimensional stability, and vacuum compatibility.
Proficiency in CAD and mechanical modeling (e.g. SolidWorks, Inventor or similar), including thermal and vibrational analysis techniques
Ability to translate optical requirements into mechanical, thermal, positioning, and stability requirements and work effectively with optical engineers, physicists, controls engineers, and manufacturing teams.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with high-energy, high-power, or ultra-short-pulse laser systems, particularly compressors, stretchers, large mirrors, gratings, or beam-transport systems.
Experience designing optomechanical systems requiring micron/sub-micron positional precision and µrad or sub-µrad angular stability.
Understanding of how mechanical and thermal effects translate into optical performance, including wavefront distortion, mirror deformation, pointing stability, and alignment drift.
Experience with advanced simulation methods such as coupled thermal-structural analysis, harmonic response, and PSD/random-vibration analysis, including correlation with experimental measurements.
Hands-on experience with the manufacturing, assembly, alignment, testing, and validation of large precision optical systems.

Responsibilities

Design and optimize large optical mounts capable of maintaining micron/sub micron positioning and high angular stability under thermal loads, mechanical vibrations and environmental changes
Perform and interpret modal, harmonic, and random-vibration/PSD analyses to identify structural resonances and predict optical displacement and angular stability under realistic environmental excitation.
Translate thermal results into optomechanical performance, evaluating how temperature changes and gradients influence mirror displacement, tip/tilt, surface deformation, optical alignment, and wavefront quality.
Optimize structures for high eigenfrequencies and low vibration sensitivity while maintaining appropriate mass, manufacturability, accessibility, and adjustment capability.
Select appropriate materials based not only on mechanical strength but also on CTE, thermal conductivity, stiffness-to-mass ratio, dimensional stability, vacuum compatibility, and optical-system requirements.
Select and integrate precision adjustment components including threads, springs, flexures, bearings, actuators, motors, and precision stages, considering load capacity, stiffness, resolution, backlash, repeatability, and stability.
Use CAD tools and mechanical modeling software to develop and iterate on designs in collaboration with physicists and systems engineers
Support prototype testing and correlate FEA predictions with displacement, vibration, thermal, and alignment measurements.