Principal Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Alcon Research•Lake Forest, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Principal Opto-Mechanical Engineer leads teams designing, validating, and optimizing optical components and systems, conducts advanced research, ensures high-precision and regulatory-compliant designs, and develops innovative optical solutions. The role is based at Alcon’s R&D location in Lake Forest, California, within the Engineering function. As a subject-matter expert in opto-mechanical engineering for ophthalmic diagnostic and visualization surgical instruments, the engineer applies expertise across mechanical design, opto-mechanics, optics, fiber optics, materials science, precision machining, imaging, illumination, microscopes, and optical systems. The role includes opto-mechanical design and analysis, product research and development, device testing and troubleshooting, and technical leadership from feasibility studies through production release. The engineer supports medical-device development, design control, prototyping, verification and validation, risk assessment, pilot builds, and manufacturing transition. The position involves collaboration with cross-functional teams and suppliers, maintaining GxP compliance and documentation, and contributing to product ideas, patents, and corporate strategy. Relocation assistance is available; sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent directly related experience; accepted equivalencies are high school plus 13 years, associate degree plus 9 years, master’s degree plus 2 years, or Ph.D. plus 0 years.
Five years of relevant experience.
Ability to fluently read, write, understand, and communicate in English.
Extensive relevant opto-mechanical engineering experience with medical devices or similar highly regulated products.
Proficiency in industry-standard tools and methods for optical, mechanical, and opto-mechanical engineering.
Knowledge of optics, opto-mechanics, fiber optics, imaging, illumination, and visualization.
Experience with optical and optomechanical metrology and testing practices.
Broad knowledge of precision manufacturing techniques and familiarity with assembly of micro-optical and miniature optomechanical components.
Understanding of architecture design, requirements and risk management, medical-device verification and validation, and reusable and single-use consumable medical devices.
Biomedical product or medical-device development experience.
Strong collaboration, accountability, and perseverance to lead projects through completion.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in CREO (Pro-E), SolidWorks, or equivalent CAD tools; CREO is preferred, as is experience in a PLM or Windchill environment.
Background designing and developing imaging systems such as microscopes, eyepieces, telescopes, or zoom lenses, as well as ophthalmic diagnostic and visualization devices.
Proficiency in opto-mechanical system design, optical alignment technology, tolerance analysis, material selection, design for athermalization, bonding, and assembly processes.
Experience with FEA tools such as ANSYS and familiarity with MATLAB and LabView.
Knowledge of optical design tools such as ZEMAX and Code V, and familiarity with integrated optical and mechanical design processes.
In-depth ophthalmic domain knowledge in cataract, vitreoretinal, refractive surgery, or diagnostics.
Understanding of design controls according to 21 CFR 820 or ISO 13485.
Proficiency in Failure Mode Effects Analysis and risk-management applications for medical devices.
Experience with motion control and manufacturing automation.
Vendor and supplier management experience for optical components, complex subsystems, or OEM products.

Responsibilities

Lead multiple optical engineering projects and teams in designing, validating, and optimizing optical components and systems.
Conduct advanced research into light behavior, material properties, and optical performance, and ensure designs meet precision and regulatory requirements.
Apply optical modeling expertise and make decisions on system architectures.
Collaborate across functions to develop optical solutions and ophthalmic diagnostic and visualization instruments.
Follow GxP regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintain complete and accurate documentation, uphold quality control, complete required training, and contribute to continuous improvement and organizational compliance.
Serve as an opto-mechanical engineering subject-matter expert across mechanical design, opto-mechanics, optics, fiber optics, material science, precision machining, imaging, illumination, microscopy, and optical systems design.
Perform opto-mechanical design, including lens barrel and lens housing design, lens bonding and mounting, and thermal, environmental, shock-and-vibration, system-integration, stability, and tolerance analyses.
Conduct design, research, development, and process upscaling for new medical-device products.
Investigate existing technologies and develop new methodologies, materials, machines, or processes for ophthalmic medical-device development as needed.
Design, assemble, align, measure, test, analyze, and troubleshoot diagnostic and visualization devices.
Understand optomechanical and electromechanical actuator and sensor operating principles and integrate them into complex subsystems.
Generate detailed fabrication drawings, including geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and perform tolerance analysis.
Support prototyping, testing, pilot builds, verification and validation, risk assessment, and ramp-up to production release.
Support documentation and design control through PECN, ECN, and ECP processes in a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform.
Develop assembly and alignment fixtures for prototype fabrication and create manufacturing assembly (MAP) and manufacturing testing (MTP) processes.
Support concurrent engineering, design control, and transition to manufacturing.
Lead feasibility studies and new-product development, ensuring design activities follow Alcon SOPs.
Derive product design requirements from top-level commercial input; identify technical, schedule, and commercial viability risks.
Lead cross-functional design trade-off discussions and technical reviews to drive design decisions.
Work with development teams across Optics, Mechanical, Electrical, Software, QA, Industrial Design, and Manufacturing.
Contribute to ideation, the patent portfolio, and corporate strategy development.
Manage or work with vendors and suppliers for optical components, complex subsystems, or OEM products.