Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Astranis•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Astranis is hiring a Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer to own the complete lifecycle of opto-mechanical systems for its spacecraft, from incremental improvements to the introduction of new systems. The role works cross-functionally to bring designs into reality and includes mentoring and training junior opto-mechanical engineers. It calls for strong problem-solving skills, hands-on testing experience, and preferably experience in spacecraft or aerospace engineering. The engineer will develop opto-mechanical products from concept and detailed design through drawings, vendor selection, evaluation, prototype builds, and production. The role also involves designing and integrating optical assemblies, performing tolerance analyses, integrating mechanical, optical, and electrical components, and leading design reviews. The position is based at Astranis’s headquarters in Northern California; the posting does not specify whether this role is onsite, hybrid, or remote. Astranis offers compensation that includes equity and benefits. The stated base salary range is $145,000–$225,000 USD. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or otherwise protected individuals as defined by the cited law, due to U.S. Government space technology export regulations.

Requirements

B.S. or M.S. in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or equivalent.
At least 5 years of opto-mechanical design experience combining precision mechanical design with optical system integration.
Experience with detailed design, development, and validation of mechanical assemblies from prototype through manufacturing.
Experience designing mechanical mounts, interfaces, and assemblies for optical components such as lenses, mirrors, lasers or light sources, detectors, or fibers.
Experience with precision optical alignment, including active and/or passive alignment.
Experience with free-space optics and miniature optical assemblies.
Experience working with suppliers and/or contract manufacturers.
Passion for hardware development and working in a fast-paced environment with hands-on design and development.
Experience mentoring and supporting junior engineers.
Understanding of how mechanical tolerances, thermal effects, vibration, and assembly variation affect optical performance and alignment.
U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, refugee/asylee status, or other protected-individual status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), due to export-control requirements.

Nice To Haves

Micron or sub-micron optical alignment experience.
Spacecraft and/or aerospace engineering experience.
Experience running a development program while delegating to a small team.
Experience synthesizing requirements and flowing them down to sub-scale verification builds and testing.
Knowledge of geometric optics and semiconductor packaging/assembly.
Experience designing prototype or production equipment for optoelectronic manufacturing.
Experience managing a team of engineers.

Responsibilities

Develop opto-mechanical products from concept and detailed design through engineering drawings, vendor selection, evaluation, prototype builds, and production.
Design and integrate free-space optical assemblies, miniature optics, optical mounts, and precision alignment mechanisms.
Perform detailed tolerance analyses and tolerance stack-ups for optical and mechanical assemblies.
Integrate mechanical, optical, and electrical components into complex optoelectronic systems.
Lead mechanical and opto-mechanical design reviews.
Work with optical, electrical, manufacturing, and other cross-functional engineering teams.
Mentor and train junior opto-mechanical engineers.
Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates.