Senior Mechanical Engineer in Colorado Springs, Colorado at OPTICAL ENGINES INC

SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Optical Engines Inc. (OEI) — Colorado Springs, Colorado

Position Summary

Optical Engines Inc. is seeking an experienced, hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, development, analysis, integration, and validation of precision mechanical systems supporting advanced laser, photonics, fiber-optic, and electro-optical products.

This position provides technical leadership throughout the engineering lifecycle, from initial requirements and conceptual design through prototyping, laboratory testing, and production transition. The Senior Mechanical Engineer will solve complex mechanical, thermal, and structural challenges while ensuring designs meet performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and schedule requirements.

Working closely with optical, electrical, RF, systems, test, and manufacturing teams, this individual will own major components and subsystems, mentor developing engineers, and strengthen engineering and manufacturing practices.

Key Responsibilities

1. Mechanical Design and Engineering

• Lead the design and development of precision mechanical components, assemblies, enclosures, mounts, fixtures, and optomechanical structures.
• Translate system requirements into mechanical architectures, interface specifications, and verification criteria.
• Develop and review 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, assembly drawings, and bills of materials using SolidWorks or comparable software.
• Establish materials, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), fits, finishes, and fabrication requirements.
• Evaluate design trade-offs involving performance, thermal stability, weight, packaging, cost, and manufacturability.
• Maintain design integrity through configuration control, revision management, and engineering change processes.

2. Thermal, Structural, and Optomechanical Engineering

• Design and optimize thermal-management solutions, including cooling plates, heat sinks, thermal interfaces, and precision enclosures for laser and optical systems.
• Perform or direct thermal, structural, vibration, and mechanical analyses using finite element analysis (FEA) and other simulation tools.
• Evaluate thermal expansion, dimensional stability, alignment sensitivity, and material interactions under operating conditions.
• Develop mechanical interfaces that maintain optical alignment, structural integrity, and system stability.
• Resolve tolerance stack-up, packaging, and integration challenges across optical, electrical, RF, and mechanical subsystems.

3. Prototype Development and Testing

• Lead hardware development from concept through fabrication, assembly, testing, and design refinement.
• Work directly with machinists, engineering technicians, and assembly personnel to translate engineering designs into functional hardware.
• Establish prototype build plans, inspection requirements, and mechanical test procedures.
• Validate dimensional accuracy, thermal behavior, structural performance, and assembly repeatability.
• Troubleshoot mechanical and integration problems, implement corrective designs, and document results and lessons learned.

4. Manufacturing Readiness and Continuous Improvement

• Apply design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) principles to ensure products are practical to manufacture, assemble, inspect, and maintain.
• Collaborate with manufacturing personnel and suppliers to optimize fabrication methods, tolerances, tooling, and assembly processes.
• Improve engineering drawings, work instructions, inspection criteria, and manufacturing documentation.
• Support the transition from prototype development to repeatable production.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions to reduce defects, rework, cost, and cycle time while improving product quality and reliability.

5. Technical Leadership and Mentorship

• Serve as the mechanical engineering technical lead for assigned products, projects, and subsystems.
• Establish design approaches, lead technical reviews, and provide engineering guidance and problem-solving direction.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and provide technical direction to engineering technicians.
• Review engineering calculations, CAD models, drawings, test plans, and verification results.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering activities, communicate technical risks, and maintain project milestones.
• Promote disciplined engineering documentation, peer review, configuration management, and accountability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Typically seven or more years of relevant mechanical engineering experience in product development, precision mechanical design, or complex hardware systems; equivalent demonstrated expertise may be considered.
• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD design and engineering drawings, preferably SolidWorks.
• Demonstrated expertise in mechanical design, materials selection, GD&T, tolerancing, fasteners, and manufacturing processes.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer, mechanics of materials, structural analysis, and thermal expansion.
• Experience taking hardware from conceptual design through prototyping, testing, and manufacturing integration.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex engineering problems and develop practical, technically sound solutions.
• Strong technical communication, documentation, project coordination, independent problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with lasers, photonics, optical systems, fiber-optic technology, or precision scientific instrumentation.
• Experience designing optomechanical mounts, precision alignment structures, enclosures, and integrated laser assemblies.
• Thermal-management experience involving high-power lasers or sensitive electronic and optical hardware.
• Proficiency in FEA, thermal simulation, and other engineering analysis tools.
• Experience with CNC machining, precision manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and advanced fabrication.
• Familiarity with vibration, shock, environmental, and reliability testing.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or other high-reliability engineering environments.
• Experience mentoring engineers and working within formal engineering change-control and quality-management systems.

Core Competencies

• Advanced mechanical engineering judgment and analytical problem-solving.
• Strong hands-on hardware development, prototype testing, and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Technical ownership and accountability for design performance.
• Ability to balance performance, quality, cost, manufacturability, and schedule.
• Effective technical leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
• Attention to detail, disciplined documentation, and continuous improvement.

Measures of Success

• Quality, completeness, and technical performance of mechanical designs.
• Successful delivery of engineering milestones and assigned subsystems.
• Effective prototype integration and transition to repeatable production.
• Reduction in design-related defects, manufacturing rework, and recurring technical problems.
• Improved product reliability, manufacturability, and lifecycle cost.
• Effective technical leadership, mentoring, and cross-functional coordination.