Lead Optomechanical Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Optics / Opto-Mechanical Engineer to join our engineering team. You will be the resident expert in designing, developing, and integrating optical and photonic systems from a mechanical standpoint. This is a critical role that will directly contribute to the performance and reliability of our high-tech navigation products, including Fibre Optic Gyroscopes and Laser Velocity Sensors. You will work closely with our multidisciplinary engineering teams, providing essential expertise in opto-mechanical packaging and thermal management.

What you'll do

• Design and develop the mechanical layouts and physical configurations for complex optical and photonics systems, specifically fiber-optic gyroscopes.
• Provide expert guidance on the mechanical integration of passive and active photonics components, ensuring optimal performance and long-term reliability.
• Analyse and mitigate the effects of environmental factors, particularly thermal stress, on sensitive optical components and fibre assemblies.
• Contribute to the full product lifecycle, from initial concept and design through to prototyping, testing, and production.
• Apply principles of Design for Manufacture (DFM) to ensure new products can be efficiently and cost-effectively scaled for production.
• Use CAD tools, such as SolidWorks, to create detailed engineering drawings and models.
• Collaborate with the broader engineering team to troubleshoot design issues and identify opportunities for product improvement.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on expert in opto-mechanical design, who brings a deep understanding of optical and photonics systems from a mechanical perspective. You are responsible for creating robust physical layouts for optical and photonic components, ensuring their performance and reliability in challenging environmental conditions, particularly under thermal stress. Your expertise is crucial in supporting our existing team of integrated photonics, electro-optics, and instrumentation engineers, allowing them to focus on core integrated photonics development.

Key experience and qualifications we look for include:

• Opto-Mechanical Design: You have proven experience in the mechanical design and integration of optical components, including active and passive photonics parts. You understand component mounting, alignment, and packaging to maximise system performance.
• Fibre Optic Gyroscopes (FOG): You have prior experience with Fibre Optic Gyroscopes, especially with designing the mechanical integration of fibre optic coils that serve as the primary sensing element in a FOG.
• Thermal Management: You have a demonstrated ability to design opto-mechanical systems that perform reliably under significant thermal variation. Your experience includes designing for thermal expansion and contraction, and mitigating temperature-induced stress on sensitive optical fibres and components.
• Production Engineering: You have experience with Design for Manufacture (DFM) and New Product Introduction (NPI). You have a practical understanding of how to transition a product from the design phase to a scalable production environment.
• Telescope Design: You have experience designing telescopes or similar optical systems; this is highly beneficial, particularly for our Laser Velocity Sensor (LVS) products.
• CAD and Optical Modelling: You are proficient with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software such as SolidWorks or a similar industry-standard tool. Experience with ray tracing and optical modelling tools, such as Zemax, is a strong advantage.

Educational Background: While a Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or physics discipline is required, a Master's or PhD is desirable but not essential. We value practical experience and a strong portfolio of past work over formal qualifications. Additionally, ADF experience is highly regarded and Veterans are encouraged to apply