Lead Mechanical Engineer

Product & Mechanical Engineering Lead - Hybrid | Phoenix, AZ - Optical Hardware

What if you could take an advanced optical system and turn it into something that can be built repeatedly, reliably and eventually at scale?

I’m working with a fast-moving deep-tech startup building compact optical communications systems for some exceptionally demanding applications.

They need a Mechanical / Product Engineering Lead who has already crossed the gap between “the prototype works” and “we can actually manufacture this.”

You’ll have significant technical ownership and work directly across mechanical, optical and electrical engineering rather than being confined to one narrow discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect compact multidisciplinary hardware products from prototype through production.
• Integrate precision optical, mechanical and electronic subsystems.
• Make engineering trade-offs across performance, SWaP, cost and manufacturability.
• Own tolerance stack-ups, worst-case analysis and robustness engineering.
• Drive DFM/DFA and production-readiness activity.
• Build repeatable assembly and manufacturing processes.
• Work directly with suppliers and manufacturing partners.
• Support qualification, EMC/EMI and compliance activity.
• Remain deeply hands-on throughout design, build and test.

Key Requirements

We’re particularly interested in engineers coming from environments such as precision optics, imaging, cameras, photonics, robotics, autonomous systems, advanced instrumentation or other compact high-performance hardware.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Experience shipping real hardware products.
• Strong mechanical/product engineering fundamentals.
• Multidisciplinary system-level thinking.
• Experience taking prototypes towards volume production.
• Strong tolerance and robustness engineering.
• DFM/DFA and manufacturing experience.
• A desire to personally solve engineering problems rather than simply delegate them.
• Optical product experience would be a major advantage, but prior space-sector experience isn't essential.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR.

This role suits someone who wants more ownership, fewer layers and a much shorter distance between an engineering decision and real hardware.

You’ll join early enough to influence not only the product, but how the engineering organisation builds products as it grows.

I look forward to hearing from you!☺