Lead Mechanical Engineer

LEAD MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Mesh Optical Technologies was founded on the belief that optical photons will be at the center of advanced technologies in the coming century. Making advanced technology ubiquitous means building at scale, and that’s exactly what we’re doing at Mesh.

Our hardware platform demands mechanical systems engineered for micron-scale precision and high-volume automated manufacturing from the start. We are seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to own mechanical development across our hardware platform—personally designing and analyzing critical assemblies while building and leading the team that delivers them. You will architect mechanical systems that integrate high-precision optics, photonics, and advanced packaging into products explicitly designed for scalable, autonomous manufacturing with minimal manual intervention.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical & Product Ownership

Lead mechanical execution from concept through production ramp, personally designing and analyzing high-impact components and assemblies

Translate product architecture into mechanical system strategy, defining the packaging approach and tolerance architecture across optical, electrical, and mechanical interfaces

Architect electro-mechanical assemblies for highly automated, scalable manufacturing—ensuring designs enable autonomous assembly, precision placement, micron-scale metallurgical processes, and robust DFM execution

Lead structural, thermal, and reliability analysis and decision-making; identify mechanical risks early and define validation strategies to retire them

Drive design-for-manufacturability, design-for-assembly, and design-for-test across the mechanical subsystem; own supplier readiness from prototyping through production ramp

Interface with optical, electrical, firmware, and process engineering teams to define system-level interfaces, integration constraints, and co-design trade-offs

Team Leadership

Provide day-to-day technical leadership to a small and growing team of mechanical engineers who own scoped subsystems

Lead design reviews and ensure subsystem designs align with system-level requirements, schedule, and quality targets

Establish mechanical design standards, documentation discipline, and review rigor across the team

Mentor engineers, raise the technical bar, and contribute to hiring and growth of the mechanical function

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline

4+ years of experience designing complex hardware systems, with demonstrated ownership of major subsystems or full products through production ramp

Strong first-principles foundation in mechanics of materials, heat transfer, and tolerance analysis

Experience designing tight-tolerance precision assemblies with multi-domain interfaces (optical, electrical, thermal, or mechanical)

Proficiency in professional 3D CAD tools (NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent)

Proficiency in structural analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical or equivalent FEA)

Experience working directly with suppliers and contract manufacturers to drive production readiness and component qualification

Experience leading technical efforts across cross-functional hardware teams

Experience mentoring engineers or leading small technical teams

Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

Experience in optical, photonic, semiconductor, or high-performance computing hardware development

Experience with high-density packaging, advanced thermal management, or chip-on-carrier/module-level mechanical integration

Thermal simulation experience (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, Icepak, Fluent, or equivalent CFD tools)

Experience designing for highly automated assembly environments, including familiarity with robotic pick-and-place, precision alignment, and in-line inspection constraints

Experience with optomechanical design, including kinematic mounting, athermalization, or fiber-to-chip alignment fixturing

Familiarity with materials selection for photonic or semiconductor-adjacent applications, including CTE matching, outgassing, and cleanliness requirements

Experience with reliability qualification methodologies (e.g., HALT, HASS, or Telcordia-style environmental testing)

Familiarity with configuration management, engineering change processes, and PLM tools

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range: Lead Mechanical Engineer: $160,000.00 - $190,000.00/per year

Title and base salary are determined on a case by case basis commensurate with experience and merit.

In addition to base salary, compensation for this role includes:

Eligibility for long-term incentives including company stock options and discretionary bonuses awarded for exceptional achievements.

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance with significant cost covered by the company for yourself and dependents.

Paid parental leave and flexible PTO (3 weeks accrued vacation and 10 company holidays per year).

401(k) retirement plan access.

Relocation assistance to sunny Los Angeles.