Mechanical Engineer

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 75,540 - 98,201; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance and disability programs

Paid vacation, sick leave, and holyd</

Tuition reduction for employee and by1

Job summary

The University of Arizona is seeking a Design Specialist to create large opto-mechanical systems for the Optical Fabrication & Engineering Facility. The role requires hands-on collaboration with engineers and technicians in a lab setting, producing detailed drawings and AIT plans.

Strong experience with SolidWorks/ANSYS and GD&T is preferred. Some duties include supporting design reviews (CoDR, PDR, CDR) and vendor coordination. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of work experience is preferred.
• ITAR/EAR restrictions require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

Responsibilities

• Create opto-mechanical system designs meeting mechanical and optical requirements.
• Optimize performance via iterative design, including FEA and thermal analysis.
• Perform tolerance analysis at system and subsystem level.
• Produce full drawing packages with GD&T and AIT plans.
• Collaborate with engineers and technicians in a lab environment.
• Coordinate with vendors to manufacture parts and subsystems.
• Prepare technical documents and reports for reviews.

Skills

Engineering mechanics

Engineering principles and solutions

Fabrication processes

Dimensional measurement & QA

CAD modeling

FEA analysis

Opto-mechanical design

GD&T / ASME Y14.5

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

PDMWorks

ANSYS

Job description

The James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences is seeking applicants for a Design Specialist that will create large opto-mechanical systems for the Optical Fabrication & Engineering Facility. *Due to ITAR/EAR restrictions the successful candidate must be a U.S. Citizen or hold permanent resident status.

Duties Summary:

• Creates opto-mechanical system designs meeting mechanical and optical requirements.
• Optimizes mechanical and optical performance of systems through iterative design processes including FEA, and thermal analysis.
• Performs tolerance analysis at system and subsystem level.
• Works with a design and engineering team to create full drawing packages with GD&T and detailed AIT (assembly, integration and testing) plans.
• Provides practical, hands‑on skills in working with engineers and technicians in a lab environment.
• Works with vendors to manufacture parts, subsystems and systems per requirements, and works with peers and management.
• Creates technical documents such as reports, slides and plans.
• Support design reviews such as CoDR, PDR and CDR.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include:

• health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• life insurance and disability programs
• paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members
• retirement plans
• access to U of A recreation and cultural activities
• and more!

Duties & Responsibilities

• Creates mechanical system designs meeting mechanical and optical requirements.
• Optimizes mechanical and optical performance of systems through iterative design processes including FEA, and thermal analysis.
• Creates technical documents such as reports, slides and plans.
• Support design reviews such as CoDR, PDR and CDR.
• Provides practical, hands‑on skills in working with engineers and technicians in a lab environment.
• Works with vendors to manufacture parts, subsystems and systems per requirements, and works with peers and management.
• Performs tolerance analysis at system and subsystem level.
• Works with a design and engineering team to create full drawing packages with GD&T and detailed AIT (assembly, integration and testing) plans.
• Supports developing proposals.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

• Good understanding of engineering mechanics.
• Knowledge and skills in applying engineering principles and procedures to develop practical engineering solutions.
• Good understanding of fabrication process.
• Good understanding of dimensional measurement and QA process.
• 3D modeling using a CAD tool (Experience in Solidworks and PDMWorks preferred.)
• FEA modeling and analysis of Opto-mechanical system (Experience in Ansys preferred.).
• Design experience with opto-mechanical systems preferred.
• Geometric Dimensions and Tolerances per ASME Y14.5‑2018 or ISO GPS

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering OR equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• At least 3 years of work experience.
• Due to ITAR/EAR restrictions the successful candidate must be a U.S. Citizen or hold permanent resident status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing component, sub‑system and system level drawings including assembly drawings preferred.
• Experience with presenting reports and summaries for management including problem reports, technical summaries, and design trade studies preferred.
• Familiarity with NASA workmanship standards is preferred.

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Fiscal

Job Category

Research

Benefits Eligible

Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay

$75,540 - $98,201

Compensation Type

salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Grade

10

The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator .

Career Stream and Level

PC2

Job Family

Research Engineering

Job Function

Research

Type of criminal background check required:

Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies

1

Target Hire Date

9/28/2026

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates

[e-mail]

Open Date

7/24/2026

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Special Instructions to Applicant

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at [e-mail].