LEAD MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Mesh Optical Technologies was founded on the belief that optical photons will be at the center of advanced technologies in the coming century. Making advanced technology ubiquitous means building at scale, and that’s exactly what we’re doing at Mesh.

Our hardware platform demands mechanical systems engineered for micron-scale precision and high-volume automated manufacturing from the start. We are seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to own mechanical development across our hardware platform—personally designing and analyzing critical assemblies while building and leading the team that delivers them. You will architect mechanical systems that integrate high-precision optics, photonics, and advanced packaging into products explicitly designed for scalable, autonomous manufacturing with minimal manual intervention.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical & Product Ownership

Lead mechanical execution from concept through production ramp, personally designing and analyzing high-impact components and assemblies
Translate product architecture into mechanical system strategy, defining the packaging approach and tolerance architecture across optical, electrical, and mechanical interfaces
Architect electro-mechanical assemblies for highly automated, scalable manufacturing—ensuring designs enable autonomous assembly, precision placement, micron-scale metallurgical processes, and robust DFM execution
Lead structural, thermal, and reliability analysis and decision-making; identify mechanical risks early and define validation strategies to retire them
Drive design-for-manufacturability, design-for-assembly, and design-for-test across the mechanical subsystem; own supplier readiness from prototyping through production ramp
Interface with optical, electrical, firmware, and process engineering teams to define system-level interfaces, integration constraints, and co-design trade-offs

Team Leadership

Provide day-to-day technical leadership to a small and growing team of mechanical engineers who own scoped subsystems
Lead design reviews and ensure subsystem designs align with system-level requirements, schedule, and quality targets
Establish mechanical design standards, documentation discipline, and review rigor across the team
Mentor engineers, raise the technical bar, and contribute to hiring and growth of the mechanical function

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's or Master's degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline
4+ years of experience designing complex hardware systems, with demonstrated ownership of major subsystems or full products through production ramp
Strong first-principles foundation in mechanics of materials, heat transfer, and tolerance analysis
Experience designing tight-tolerance precision assemblies with multi-domain interfaces (optical, electrical, thermal, or mechanical)
Proficiency in professional 3D CAD tools (NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent)
Proficiency in structural analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical or equivalent FEA)
Experience working directly with suppliers and contract manufacturers to drive production readiness and component qualification
Experience leading technical efforts across cross-functional hardware teams
Experience mentoring engineers or leading small technical teams
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Experience in optical, photonic, semiconductor, or high-performance computing hardware development
Experience with high-density packaging, advanced thermal management, or chip-on-carrier/module-level mechanical integration
Thermal simulation experience (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, Icepak, Fluent, or equivalent CFD tools)
Experience designing for highly automated assembly environments, including familiarity with robotic pick-and-place, precision alignment, and in-line inspection constraints
Experience with optomechanical design, including kinematic mounting, athermalization, or fiber-to-chip alignment fixturing
Familiarity with materials selection for photonic or semiconductor-adjacent applications, including CTE matching, outgassing, and cleanliness requirements