Optomechanical Engineer - All Levels

EON • Los Angeles, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

EON is building a high-throughput point-to-point data transport network in space using free-space laser links in Medium Earth Orbit. The Optomechanical Engineer will design the assemblies supporting the laser beam path and alignment schemes that preserve precision through thermal swings, vibration, handling, launch, and field conditions. The role works closely with Optical Design and Thermal on tolerancing, alignment budgets, and structural-thermal-optical behavior.

This is a hands-on role spanning concept design through first light, bench verification, and environmental qualification. EON is a lean company where engineers build models, make and defend decisions with incomplete data, and spend meaningful time in the lab. The role is hired at levels from Associate through Senior and Principal, with title, scope, and compensation calibrated to experience. The position is onsite in Culver City, California.

Requirements

• Degree in mechanical engineering, optical engineering, physics, or a related discipline.
• Optomechanical design experience, including mounts, flexures, or kinematic design.
• Hands-on alignment and integration of precision optical assemblies.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD, such as NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent.
• Comfort moving quickly and making sound decisions with incomplete data.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with space or airborne optomechanical hardware, including launch-load and on-orbit stability design.
• Laser communications or optical communications terminal experience.
• Structural FEA experience, such as ANSYS Mechanical or equivalent, and structural-thermal-optical reasoning.
• Athermalization and materials-selection experience for stability, including CTE matching, low-expansion materials such as Invar, Zerodur, and silicon carbide, and bonded-versus-mechanical mounting tradeoffs.
• Fiber-coupling optomechanics experience, such as fiber-to-collimator alignment, fiber positioners, or coupling-stability design.
• Alignment-verification and metrology methods for precision optical hardware.
• Environmental testing and qualification of precision hardware, including vibration, shock, and thermal-vac.
• Cleanliness and contamination control for optical assemblies, including handling, bake-out, and outgassing requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design optomechanical assemblies for laser communications terminals from concept through first light.
• Design mounts, flexures, and kinematic schemes that maintain sub-micron alignment under real loads.
• Contribute to the line-of-sight error budget through structural dynamics, tolerance stack-up, jitter analysis, and pointing calibration.
• Analyze mechanical and thermal stability of the optical train and support structural-thermal-optical (STOP) analysis in partnership with Thermal.
• Drive tolerance and alignment-budget tradeoffs with Optical Design.
• Execute alignment verification and metrology to confirm assemblies meet budgets on the bench and after environmental exposure.
• Support vibration, shock, and thermal-vac environmental testing and qualification to verify assemblies maintain alignment through launch and field conditions.

Benefits

• Company stock options for full-time employees.
• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, with significant costs covered by the company for employees and dependents.
• Paid parental leave.
• Flexible PTO, including three weeks of accrued vacation and 10 company holidays per year.
• Relocation assistance to Los Angeles is available.
• Equipment and lab budget.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level