Opto-Mechancial Engineer

PSI; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental &amp

Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)

Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary &

Job summary

PSI is seeking an experienced Opto-Mechanical Engineer to drive design of payloads within the Electro-Optical Systems team at our San Francisco HQ. This in-office, full-time role requires hands-on leadership across conception to production, collaborating with structural, thermal, and reliability teams to ensure performance and flight readiness.

The successful candidate will own manufacturing processes, design lines for mid-volume assembly, and apply STOP principles to maintain on-orbit

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 4+ years owning opto-mechanical product development from requirements to manufacturing.
• Experience designing for high-reliability space environments including launch survivability and vacuum.
• Design and fabrication of optical assemblies with glass, carbon fiber, metals, ceramics and epoxies.
• Prototyping to production with hands-on hardware experience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Able to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and drive projects to completion.
• Excellent verbal and visual communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the opto-mechanical manufacturing process of optical payloads.
• Design manufacturing line for mid-volume production with data-driven decisions.
• Collaborate across structural, thermal, and optical groups to meet performance and survivability requirements.

Skills

Opto-mechanical design

Metrology

Alignment and calibration

SolidWorks

Zemax

Matlab

Python

C/C++

Problem solving

Verbal communication

Visual communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field

Tools

SolidWorks

Zemax

Matlab

Visual Basic

Python

C/C++

Job description

Growing Company in SF has a need for a Opto-Mechanical Engineer to help drive the design of payloads. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned opto-mechanical designer who has led optical system engineering efforts across multiple programs from conceptual design through flight. As a member of the Electro-Optical Systems team, you will be a key contributor and stakeholder in our agile aerospace approach to spacecraft design, and will work hand-in-glove with optical engineering, structural analysis, thermal engineering, and reliability & qualification.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our San Francisco HQ 5 days per week.

Impact You'll Own

• Own the opto-mechanical manufacturing process of optical payloads
• Design the manufacturing line for mid-volume production of optical payloads. Make first principle based, data-driven decisions throughout the design process to ensure efficient assembly and test processes
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as structural, thermal analysts and optical engineer groups to drive and perform analyses to ensure payloads meet stiffness, strength, thermal, and launch survivability requirements, as well as maintain on-orbit performance through STOP (Structural, Thermal, Optical Performance)

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 4+ years experience owning the development of opto-mechanical products from requirements through conceptual design, testing and manufacturing
• Experience designing for high-reliability space environments including launch survivability, vacuum conditions, on-orbit performance through thermal conditions (STOP)
• Experience in the design and fabrication of optical assemblies, incorporating components made from glass, carbon fiber, metals, ceramics, epoxies, as well as mechanisms and electrical elements
• Practical and direct engagement with hardware, from prototyping to production and testing phases
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience working in a dynamic environment while driving projects to completion
• Good verbal and visual communication skills

What Makes You Stand Out

• Expertise in optics / opto-mechanical manufacturing, metrology, alignment and calibration
• Ability to build out the manufacturing line for precision optical systems
• Experience with dynamic hardware builds, vibration and shock testing, telescope assembly, and optical performance testing
• Experience applying systems engineering principles to optimize optical payload integration, focusing on requirements management, trade‑off analysis, and balancing system‑level constraints such as cost, schedule, and performance
• Ability to drive manufacturers and DFM/DFA
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, Zemax, Matlab, Visual Basic, Python and/or C/C++

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 4+ years experience owning the development of opto-mechanical products from requirements through conceptual design, testing and manufacturing
• Experience designing for high-reliability space environments including launch survivability, vacuum conditions, on-orbit performance through thermal conditions (STOP)
• Experience in the design and fabrication of optical assemblies, incorporating components made from glass, carbon fiber, metals, ceramics, epoxies, as well as mechanisms and electrical elements
• Practical and direct engagement with hardware, from prototyping to production and testing phases
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience working in a dynamic environment while driving projects to completion
• Good verbal and visual communication skills

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development