Senior Mechanical Engineer

Laser Thermal•Charlottesville, VA

7d•$110,000 - $155,000•Onsite

About The Position

Laser Thermal is pioneering the future of thermal metrology. We design and build advanced instruments that deliver fast, accurate thermal property measurements for the most demanding materials challenges, across semiconductors, aerospace, energy, and beyond. Born from academic research and built for real-world impact, we combine optical innovation with scalable engineering to empower R&D teams and production environments alike. Our team thrives on hands-on problem-solving, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a shared belief that better data drives better design. If you're passionate about building tools that make a measurable difference, you’ll find a home here. As Laser Thermal continues to expand our product portfolio and advance the capabilities of our flagship FASTR platform, we are seeking an experienced Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our multidisciplinary engineering team. In this role, you will independently lead complex mechanical design efforts while collaborating with fellow senior engineers, scientists, software engineers, electrical engineers, and manufacturing personnel to develop the next generation of thermal metrology instrumentation. This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys solving challenging technical problems and seeing designs through every stage of the product lifecycle—from concept and prototyping to manufacturing, testing, and continuous product improvement. You will contribute to the evolution of existing products while helping develop innovative technologies that enable researchers and manufacturers to better understand the thermal properties of advanced materials. As a senior individual contributor, you will provide technical expertise across multiple engineering disciplines, working closely with cross-functional teams to develop reliable, manufacturable, and high-performing electromechanical systems. You will also share your experience through design reviews, technical collaboration, and informal mentoring while continuing to grow alongside a talented team of engineers. Because we are a growing company, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our products, engineering processes, and customer experience. If you enjoy building precision scientific instrumentation, working across disciplines, and taking ownership of challenging engineering problems, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline.
8+ years of experience designing and developing complex mechanical or electromechanical products in a product development environment.
Experience independently leading mechanical design projects from concept through production.
Advanced proficiency with SolidWorks, including large assemblies, subassemblies, configurations, and detailed manufacturing drawings.
Strong experience designing sheet metal, machined, and fabricated components.
Experience working directly with fabrication vendors and manufacturing partners.
Experience designing products for manufacturability and supporting products through prototype, testing, production, and continuous improvement.
Ability to interpret electrical schematics and integrate electrical hardware into mechanical systems.
Hands-on experience assembling, testing, troubleshooting, and validating mechanical and electromechanical systems.
Experience manufacturing cable assemblies, including wiring, crimping, soldering, and connectorization.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
Excellent communication and organizational skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where engineers contribute across multiple aspects of product development.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline.
Experience designing scientific instrumentation, analytical equipment, or other precision electromechanical products.
Experience designing optomechanical systems or integrating optical components into mechanical designs.
Familiarity with fiber optic technologies.
Experience with pneumatic and vacuum systems.
Familiarity with microcontrollers, PLCs, and embedded hardware integration.
Experience with rapid prototyping techniques, including CNC machining, additive manufacturing, and prototype fabrication.
Familiarity with IEC/CDRH laser safety requirements.
Familiarity with IEC 60204-1 electrical safety standards.
Experience working in regulated industrial, laboratory, or manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

Independently lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of complex mechanical systems supporting the FASTR product line and future product development initiatives.
Design precision mechanical components, assemblies, and electromechanical systems that balance performance, manufacturability, reliability, serviceability, and cost.
Create, maintain, and manage complex parts, assemblies, subassemblies, drawings, and engineering documentation using sound configuration and revision management practices.
Design sheet metal, machined, fabricated, and custom mechanical components for low-volume manufacturing and future production scalability.
Collaborate with research scientists, product managers, electrical engineers, software engineers, manufacturing technicians, and fellow mechanical engineers to develop integrated product solutions.
Work closely with fabrication partners and suppliers, including vendors such as SendCutSend and Protocase, to optimize component designs and manufacturing processes.
Build, assemble, test, troubleshoot, and validate prototypes and production systems, identifying opportunities to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
Design, manufacture, and troubleshoot cable assemblies, including crimping, soldering, connectorization, and electrical integration.
Interpret electrical schematics and collaborate with electrical engineers to integrate power distribution and electrical subsystems into mechanical designs.
Design mechanical systems that effectively integrate optical, pneumatic, and electrical components while understanding how mechanical decisions influence overall system performance.
Perform root cause investigations and implement engineering improvements to address product, manufacturing, and customer issues.
Participate in design reviews and provide technical input throughout all phases of product development.
Share technical expertise with teammates through collaboration, design reviews, and informal mentoring while contributing to a culture of continuous learning and engineering excellence.
Support low-volume manufacturing activities and engineering builds as needed, reflecting the collaborative, hands-on environment of a growing technology company.