Staff Mechanical Engineer

Onto Innovation•Wilmington, MA

5d•$115,200 - $172,800

About The Position

At Onto Innovation, you will play a key role in developing next-generation semiconductor metrology and inspection systems that enable advanced process control in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing. As a Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will lead the design and development of precision mechanical and optomechanical subsystems that achieve nanometer-level stability, accuracy, and repeatability. You will contribute to innovations across highly demanding applications involving precision positioning, thermal stability, vibration control, and optomechanical integration. Working at the intersection of mechanics, optics, and mechatronics, you will help deliver the performance required for AI-driven yield optimization and process control in advanced semiconductor fabs.

Requirements

MSc or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Precision Engineering, Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in the design and development of high-precision mechanical systems.
Proven experience with precision mechanics, flexure design, and optomechanical engineering.
Strong understanding of mechanical system performance drivers, including stiffness, thermal stability, vibration, tolerances, material behavior, and structural dynamics.
Hands-on experience with mechanical prototyping, integration, testing, and performance characterization.
Experience with engineering analysis tools, including FEA and thermal simulation.
Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as NX, Creo, SolidWorks, or similar.
Experience working in cross-disciplinary engineering teams.
Demonstrated ability to own projects, define milestones, and deliver results.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, analysis, and validation of advanced precision mechanical and optomechanical systems for semiconductor metrology and inspection equipment.
Develop mechanical architectures that achieve demanding requirements in stability, stiffness, accuracy, repeatability, and thermal robustness.
Design and optimize flexure-based mechanisms, kinematic mounts, structural assemblies, positioning systems, and optomechanical interfaces.
Perform mechanical analysis and simulation, including FEA, structural dynamics, thermal analysis, modal analysis, and tolerance studies.
Develop thermally stable solutions minimizing drift and deformation across varying environmental and operational conditions.
Define specifications and collaborate with external suppliers to develop and qualify precision components, assemblies, and manufacturing processes.
Drive prototyping, integration, testing, and experimental validation of precision mechanical subsystems.
Support root-cause investigations and performance improvement efforts related to mechanical, thermal, and dynamic system behavior.
Create documentation, test procedures, and integration workflows to support manufacturing, service, and field applications.
Collaborate cross-functionally with optical, electrical, software, systems, controls, and algorithm teams to deliver fully integrated solutions.
Provide technical leadership, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to precision engineering and architecture roadmaps.