Pointing and Tracking Optomechanical Engineer

Deel; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous equity

Competitive healthcare (vision/dental)

401(k)

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Azora is seeking an experienced mechanical/optical engineer to own the productization of compact pointing, acquisition, and tracking subsystems for its modular optical ground stations and space terminals. You will guide fine-steering and coarse-pointing systems from prototype through field qualification, ensuring microradian-class stability across weather and platforms.

In this role you will design optomechanical assemblies, perform STOP/thermal analyses, develop pointing budgets, select

Qualifications

• 3+ years of optomechanical design experience for precision optical systems.
• Hands-on experience aligning and testing optical assemblies in a lab.
• Working knowledge of GD&T and tolerance analysis.
• Experience with precision machining practices.

Responsibilities

• Design optomechanical assemblies for beam steering (gimbals, FSMs, telescope mounts, relay optics, fiber-coupling stages).
• Perform structural, thermal, and STOP analyses to verify LOS stability and wavefront budgets.
• Develop pointing error budgets and flow to component requirements.
• Design, select and qualify actuators, encoders, bearings, and flexures for ground/space environments.
• Lead alignment, integration, and test of optical assemblies in the field.
• Support acquisition and tracking field campaigns at ground stations and troubleshoot under real atmospheric conditions.
• Collaborate with software/electrical engineers to close the loop between lab design and autonomous optical communications with space assets.

Skills

Optomechanical design

CAD

FEA

GD&T

Tolerance analysis

Precision machining

Alignment & testing

Education

BSc in Mechanical Engineering

MS in Optical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Creo

ANSYS

Nastran

Job description

### **Role**Own the productization of compact pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) optomechanical subsystems for Azora's modular optical ground stations and space terminals. You will guide the process of fine-steering and coarse-pointing systems from commercial prototype through field qualification, ensuring microradian-class stability no matter the weather or platform where the Azora systems are located.### **Responsibilities*** Design optomechanical assemblies for beam steering: gimbals, fast-steering mirrors (FSMs), telescope mounts, relay optics, and fiber-coupling stages.* Perform structural, thermal, and STOP (structural-thermal-optical performance) analysis to verify line-of-sight stability and wavefront error budgets.* Develop pointing error budgets covering base motion, jitter, thermal drift, and control-loop residuals, and flow them down to component requirements.* Design, select and qualify actuators, encoders, bearings, and flexures for ground and space environments.* Lead alignment, integration, and test of optical assemblies in the field.* Support acquisition and tracking field campaigns at ground station sites, including troubleshooting under real atmospheric conditions.* Work closely with software, electrical and network engineers to close the loop between lab-based mechanical design and to autonomous optical communications with space assets.### **Required Qualifications*** BSc or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.* 3+ years of optomechanical design experience for precision optical systems (laser communications, telescopes, directed energy, or similar).* Proficiency with CAD (SolidWorks, NX, Creo, or similar) and FEA tools (ANSYS, Nastran, or similar).* Hands-on experience aligning and testing optical assemblies in a lab environment.* Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and precision machining practices.### **Preferred*** Experience with fast-steering mirrors, gimbal design, or telescope pointing systems.* Familiarity with STOP analysis workflows and optical design tools (Zemax/OpticStudio, CODE V).* Experience qualifying hardware for launch and on-orbit environments (vibration, shock, thermal vacuum).* Field experience with optical ground stations or astronomical instrumentation.**Location**This is an onsite/hybrid role based in Tempe, AZ or the Bay Area, CA – hardware work that’s hard to do remotely. Some travel expected for field deployment and vendor/manufacturing visits.**Benefits:*** Generous equity* Competitive healthcare (including options for vision and dental)* 401(k)* Unlimited PTO**EEO & Reasonable Accommodations*** *Azora is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.** *If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know by contacting* *[e-mail]***Export Control**To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (iii) protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or (iv) be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.