Staff Mechanical Engineer

nLIGHT • Longmont, CO

122d • $130,000 - $170,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Mechanical Engineers at nLIGHT DEFENSE Systems, Inc. synchronize the mechanical, thermal, and packaging aspects of design and integration for complex High Energy Laser weapon systems. The team develops rugged, compact solutions designed to operate and survive in challenging environments, using analysis-driven design and athermalized, vibration-rugged approaches. This role contributes to integrating HEL weapon systems through effective mechanical system design, from concept through finalization and integration.

The position is onsite in Longmont, Colorado. Applicants must possess or be qualified to obtain a U.S. Department of Defense personnel security clearance; preference is given to candidates who already hold one. Compensation is $130,000–$170,000, depending on experience.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience working in opto-mechanical system design and integration; the description also identifies at least 5 years of experience in mechanical system design and integration.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Optical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Must possess or be qualified to obtain a U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance.
• Commitment to excellence, attention to detail, and pride in workmanship.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, collaborative environment where requirements change frequently and rapid-turn solutions are often needed.
• Ability to manage schedules and priorities with minimal daily direction to meet mid- to long-term schedule objectives.
• Experience using GitLab, Jira, or similar project management software.
• Experience with system-level trade studies and documenting engineering decisions.
• Ability to architect design solutions from requirements and stakeholder input.
• Experience decomposing larger system designs and delegating engineering tasks to a diverse team of contributing engineers.
• Experience with SolidWorks.
• Ability to use hand calculations to verify design requirements.
• Strong troubleshooting skills.
• Expertise in preparing fabrication and assembly drawings for manufacturing using ISO and ANSI standards, including version control and change-record documentation.
• Experience in design for manufacturability and assembly (DFMA).
• Experience with manufacturing techniques such as machining, sheet metal, and injection molding.

Nice To Haves

• Existing U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance.
• Experience in rugged design for optical systems, including kinematic and flexure mounting and optical and structural adhesive mounting.
• Familiarity with implementation of electro-optical systems.
• Experience in optical system alignment and test methods.
• Experience in opto-mechanical assembly, including receiving and inspecting components, dry assembly, and bonding.
• Experience with thermal management systems.
• Experience with STOP analysis (structural, thermal, optical performance).
• Experience in vibration testing and analysis and isolation methods, particularly jitter analysis for opto-mechanical systems.
• Experience in finite element analysis (FEA) and modeling of vibration and thermal effects.
• Experience with static structure, fatigue, random vibration, and modal analysis.
• Experience in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.
• Experience with MATLAB and LabVIEW.
• Experience in Adaptive Optical systems and/or High Energy Laser systems.
• Exposure to MIL-STD-810 design and/or testing.
• Experience operating machining, welding, or fabrication equipment.

Responsibilities

• Develop cutting-edge laser and electro-optical systems through rapid development of effective, robust mechanical system designs.
• Apply design-for-excellence (DFX) and other design principles to create manufacturing-friendly, cost-optimized solutions that meet or exceed functional design goals.
• Devise, design, and build robust tooling and process equipment suitable for reliable high-volume manufacturing.
• Design, analyze, and assemble mechanical systems from concept through design finalization and integration.

Benefits

• Four weeks of paid time off per year.
• 11 paid holidays.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Tuition Assistance Program.
• Health (ACA Gold Plan), vision, and dental care paid 100% by the employer for employees and 75% for dependents.
• Paid family leave.
• Short- and long-term disability paid 100% by the employer.
• Competitive 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting.

What This Job Offers

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