Senior Mechanical Engineer

nEye.ai; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

nEye.ai is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design and develop the mechanical systems behind our optical switching platform. You will collaborate with photonics, electrical engineering, packaging, manufacturing, and operations to create precision assemblies enabling world-class optical performance.

This role offers ownership over product design and hands-on engineering, with opportunities to grow into technical leadership while staying deeply involved in hands-on work today.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years of mechanical design experience developing complex hardware products.
• Deep proficiency designing precision opto-mechanical assemblies.
• Expert proficiency with 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, NX, Inventor, or similar).
• Experience performing structural and thermal analysis using FEA tools (ANSYS, COMSOL, SolidWorks Simulation, etc.).
• Strong understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes including precision machining, sheet metal, molding, extrusion, additive manufacturing.
• Experience working through prototype builds and design iterations.
• Designing to environmental qualification standards (Telcordia or similar).
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design precision mechanical components and assemblies for silicon photonic devices.
• Develop mechanical packaging, modules, and enclosures with fiber management for high-performance optical systems.
• Design thermal management solutions for optimized system performance.
• Create manufacturable CAD models, drawings, tolerances, and assembly documentation.

Skills

Opto-mechanical design

3D CAD

FEA

GD&T

Prototype development

Manufacturing process knowledge

Education

BS Mechanical Engineering

MS Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

NX

Inventor

ANSYS

COMSOL

SolidWorks Simulation

Job description

nEye.ai, a well-funded optical switch startup, is poised to revolutionize the future of data centers. nEye’s MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switches (OCS) eliminate critical bottlenecks in AI processing by enabling direct optical connections among thousands of GPUs and memory units. The company's SuperSwitch is an ultra-low power consumption, high radix, compact chip-scale design, offering hyperscale data centers enhanced performance, efficiency, and scalability.

Job Overview

We're looking for a hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to help design and develop the mechanical systems behind our optical switching platform.

You'll work closely with our Mechanical Engineering Manager and cross-functional teams across photonics, electrical engineering, packaging, manufacturing, and operations to develop precision mechanical assemblies that enable world-class optical performance.

This is an ideal opportunity for an engineer who enjoys solving difficult multidisciplinary engineering problems, wants significant ownership over product design, and is interested in growing into future technical leadership, while preferring to remain deeply involved in hands-on engineering today.

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical Design

• Design precision mechanical components and assemblies supporting silicon photonic devices
• Develop mechanical packaging, modules, and enclosures, including mounting structures and fiber management solutions for high-performance optical systems
• Design thermal management solutions for optimized system performance
• Manufacturable CAD models, drawings, tolerances, and assembly documentation
• Drive mechanical designs from concept through prototype, validation, and production

Analysis & Simulation

• Perform structural, thermal, and vibration simulations using FEA tools
• Analyze stress, strain, thermal performance, and reliability of assemblies
• Optimize designs for manufacturability, robustness, and long-term reliability
• Support design tradeoff studies through simulation and experimentation

Prototype Development

• Build, assemble, and evaluate engineering prototypes
• Work closely with technicians and manufacturing partners to debug mechanical issues
• Conduct root cause analysis on prototype and field failures
• Iterate rapidly based on test data and engineering feedback

Manufacturing Support

• Collaborate with vendors on precision machined, molded, and sheet metal fabricated parts
• Review first articles and manufacturing documentation
• Support engineering change orders (ECOs)
• Help transition designs from prototype into production

Required Experience

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• 5+ years of mechanical design experience developing complex hardware products
• Deep proficiency designing precision opto-mechanical assemblies
• Expert proficiency with 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, NX, Inventor, or similar)
• Experience performing structural and thermal analysis using FEA tools (ANSYS, COMSOL, SolidWorks Simulation, etc.)
• Strong understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes including:
• Precision machining
• Sheet Metal
• Molding, including injection, vacuum forming and MIM
• Extrusions
• Additive manufacturing
• Experience working through prototype builds and design iterations
• Designing to Telcordia or similar environmental qualification standards
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Preferred Skills

• Experience developing products within:
• Silicon photonics
• Optical networking
• Semiconductor equipment
• MEMS
• Optical packaging
• Telecom hardware
• High-performance computing
• AI infrastructure
• Familiarity with thermal management of electronics
• Fiber routing and management.
• Experience designing for shock and vibration requirements
• Knowledge of adhesives, optical alignment fixtures, or precision mechanical mounting
• Experience supporting design transfer into manufacturing
• Familiarity with Telcordia or similar environmental qualification standards
• Exposure to rapid simulation workflows or AI-assisted engineering tools is a plus

nEye is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Starting salary and title will depend on, and be commensurate with, relevant experience, skills, training, education, market demands, and the ultimate job duties and requirements.