Opto Mechanical Engineer

The role

This person will design, analyze, integrate, and qualify high-performance optical payloads for space and airborne platforms. They will own the optomechanical architecture and manufacturing readiness from early concept through flight hardware.

What you will do

• Lead optomechanical design of precision optical assemblies and payloads for space-qualified systems.
• Define mechanical architectures for mounts, structures, mechanisms, and interfaces.
• Translate optical sensitivities into mechanical, thermal, and manufacturing requirements.
• Own optomechanical performance across Structural, Thermal, and Optical Performance domains.
• Perform and review tolerance analyses, GD&T, structural FEA, and thermal analyses.
• Define alignment strategies, test equipment, and assembly and test plans.
• Lead optomechanical integration, bonding, assembly, and alignment of hardware.
• Support environmental testing including vibration, shock, and thermal-vacuum.
• Design for manufacturability, assembly, and test.
• Manage procurement of optical components and technical vendor relationships.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in optomechanical design and development of precision optical systems.
• Demonstrated experience owning optomechanical designs from requirements through integration and test.
• Strong background in optical mounting, alignment, tolerancing, metrology, and materials, adhesives, and mounting approaches.
• Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent), GD&T, and FEA.
• Hands-on experience with hardware integration, alignment, fabrication or assembly of optical hardware, environmental testing, and test and characterization of optical components and assemblies.
• Experience producing high-quality technical documentation.
• Strong communication skills and ability to lead cross-functional technical efforts.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in optics, physics, engineering, mathematics, or another related technical field.
• Experience with spaceflight or other high-reliability aerospace systems.
• Experience with EO/IR, hyperspectral, laser, or precision imaging payloads.
• Familiarity with Zemax or similar optical design tools.
• Experience with fabrication of optics or coatings, adhesives, bonding, and contamination-controlled assembly.
• Experience supporting NASA, DoD, SBIR, or commercial space programs.
• Comfort operating in fast-paced startup or rapid-development environments.

Benefits

• Competitive total package based on experience
• Early-stage equity package
• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage
• Opportunities to expand into leadership, strategic accounts, or cross-functional roles

Before you apply

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

About the company

Matter is building the future of vision AI by pairing a sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model. The team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL and designed advanced sensors for U.S. Defense.