Senior Opto-Mechanical Controls Engineer (Space/Ground)

Diffraqtion; Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity options

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Company 401K match

Company discounts

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Diffraqtion is seeking a Senior Mechanical & Controls Engineer to drive the integration of opto-mechanical systems into ground-based and space-based camera systems. You will own PAT hardware and controls, taking concepts from prototype through flight qualification and operation.

You bring hands-on control systems expertise and a track record of shipping precision pointing systems for ground or space environments.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical or Optical Engineering; M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or Controls Engineering preferred.
• 8+ years of opto-mechanical, precision mechanical, or pointing control system design experience for optical systems (e.g., telescopes, laser communications, directed energy, remote sensing, or similar), including at least 3 years integrating optical instruments into telescopes, imaging systems, or spacecraft.
• Proven track record taking precision pointing or opto-mechanical hardware from prototype to fielded or flown product, for ground-based or space-based systems.
• Expert-level knowledge of control systems: classical and modern control theory, plant modeling, system identification, loop shaping, and stability analysis, applied to real electro-mechanical hardware.
• Hands-on experience designing and fielding precision pointing, tracking, or motion control systems (e.g., telescope mounts, gimbals, fast steering mirrors, or precision stages).
• Demonstrated expertise in design for space and harsh environments, including athermal design for alignment stability over temperature and vibration-tolerant design for launch loads.
• Working knowledge of space materials and processes, including selection of low-outgassing materials per ASTM E595 and contamination control for optical systems.
• Practical DFM/DFA experience: GD&T per ASME Y14.5, tolerance analysis, precision machining, finishing, and coating processes, and working directly with machine shops and suppliers.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or Creo) and FEA tools (ANSYS, NASTRAN/Femap, or Abaqus) for structural, modal, and thermal analysis.
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink (or equivalent) for control design and simulation, and in Python for data analysis and test automation.
• Hands-on experience aligning, integrating, and testing optical assemblies in the lab and in the field.
• Willingness to travel to telescope sites, ground stations, test facilities, and suppliers as needed.
• Clear technical communication with diverse audiences, and the ability to lead across a small, cross-functional team.

Responsibilities

• Own the productization of pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) opto-mechanical subsystems, guiding coarse-pointing and fine-steering systems from prototype through field and flight qualification.
• Design opto-mechanical and electro-mechanical assemblies for pointing and beam steering, including gimbals, fast steering mirrors (FSMs), telescope mounts and adapters, relay optics, focus and tip/tilt mechanisms, and fiber-coupling stages.
• Lead the mechanical integration of Diffraqtion's opto-mechanical payloads into ground-based and space-based systems, defining and owning mechanical interface control documents (ICDs).
• Architect, model, and tune control systems including servo loop design (PID, lead/lag, state-space), feedforward, and disturbance rejection.
• Develop pointing and line-of-sight error budgets covering base motion, jitter, thermal drift, and control-loop residuals, and flow them down to component requirements.
• Perform structural, thermal, modal, and structural-thermal-optical performance (STOP) analysis to verify line-of-sight stability and wavefront error budgets for observatory environments (wind, temperature, seismic) and launch and on-orbit environments.
• Select and specify space-qualified materials and processes to meet NASA/ASTM E595 requirements, and maintain the program's materials and processes (M&P) list and contamination control approach.
• Work with spacecraft GNC/ADCS teams to integrate the payload with attitude determination and control, including star trackers, gyros and IMUs, reaction wheels, and payload-based fine guidance.
• Apply design for manufacturing and assembly (DFM/DFA) throughout to produce drawings with GD&T, run tolerance stack-ups, and work with machine shops, suppliers, and contract manufacturers to transition designs to repeatable production.
• Lead hands-on alignment, integration, test, and environmental qualification (thermal, thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock) of optical assemblies, and correlate results to models.
• Lead acquisition and tracking field campaigns at telescope and ground station sites, including on-sky verification and troubleshooting under real atmospheric conditions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers and co-ops, and produce clear design documentation, test reports, and progress updates for stakeholders.

Skills

Control systems

PID control

State-space modeling

3D CAD

FEA tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Opto-mechanical design

Gimbals

GNC/ADCS integration

Education

B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical or Optical Engineering

MS or PhD preferred in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or Controls Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Creo

ANSYS

NASTRAN

Femap

Abaqus

Job description

Diffraqtion is seeking a Senior Mechanical & Controls Engineer to drive the integration of opto-mechanical systems into ground-based and space-based camera systems. You will own PAT hardware and controls, taking concepts from prototype through flight qualification and operation.

You bring hands-on control systems expertise and a track record of shipping precision pointing systems for ground or space environments.