Principal Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Job Responsibilities

• Initiate and lead the design and specification of complex, next-generation opto-mechanical systems, ultra-high vacuum chambers, and mechanical infrastructure from the component level up to the system level.
• Collaborate with technical leaders across engineering domains to define product requirements and inform the next-generation hardware development lifecycle.
• Partner with physicists and subject matter experts to architect robust mechanical solutions for optical assemblies, ensuring high-precision stability, thermal performance, and alignment integrity.
• Establish and enforce rigorous design standards and best practices for opto-mechanical engineering, including leading critical design reviews, performing advanced tolerance analysis, and driving Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) to ensure scalability.
• Provide high-level technical leadership and oversight for the hands-on assembly, alignment, and system integration of critical opto-mechanical designs.
• Mentor junior team members, generate internal training documentation, and drive technical growth and standardization within the engineering organization.
• Participate in long-term technical program planning, including contributing to roadmap development and resource assessments to ensure alignment with company goals.
• Contribute as a subject matter expert to technical documentation, grant proposals, and IP generation (patents and inventions).
• Oversee external vendor relationships for complex component development, managing the design process and defining key deliverables.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues across the product lifecycle, both at Atom and off-site customer facilities.
• Capable of lifting and moving objects that weigh up to 25 pounds.

Experience & Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, advanced degree is a plus
• 10+ years opto-mechanical design experience
• 8+ years of hands-on optics assembly experience in a laboratory environment

Qualifications

• Deep expertise and demonstrated leadership in the design and build of complex opto-mechanical systems
• Proven track record of driving complex technical initiatives from conception through deployment, and the ability to mentor and scale the engineering team's capabilities
• Mastery of SolidWorks, PDM, or equivalent design and data management software
• Strong background with FEA (meshing, modal analysis, thermal analysis, etc.) and corresponding first order analysis
• Deep understanding of material science related to adhesives in an optical environment
• Ability to own and mentor team members in DFMA, tolerancing, drawings to ASME Y14.5M and ISO 10110
• Strong knowledge of first order optics and aberration theory
• Robust history in precision mechanisms and kinematic systems
• Ability to work effectively in an open, collaborative environment
• Excellent communication, listening, and people skills