Key Engineering Position:
We are seeking a highly motivated Lead Structural/Thermal Engineer to join our team.
* As a key member of our engineering team, you will be responsible for leading and improving engineering practices across the Structural, Thermal, and Optomechanical Performance (STOP) domain.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of emerging technologies and contribute to the development of innovative optical systems.
Responsibilities:
* Develop and execute multidisciplinary STOP analysis workflows to predict optical system performance under environmental loads including thermal gradients, structural vibrations, and mechanical stresses.
* Lead and mentor engineers, providing guidance, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
* Foster a collaborative, resilient, and innovative engineering culture within the company.
* Collaborate with mechanical, optical, electrical, software, systems, and engineering teams to deliver robust, high-performance opto-mechanical subsystems.
* Perform detailed FEA and thermal simulations using tools such as ANSYS, Thermica, Simcenter 3D, FEMAP or equivalent, integrating results with optical analysis tools (e.g., Zemax OpticStudio, SigFit).
* Support environmental testing campaigns including vibration, shock, and thermal vacuum (TVAC), correlating test data with predictive models.
* Define and execute test plans to validate structural and thermal models and support qualification of optical assemblies for space applications.
* Create and maintain detailed technical documentation, analysis reports, and verification matrices in accordance with ECSS or MIL-STD requirements.
* Drive continuous improvement in structural and thermal analysis capabilities, implementing best practices in model reuse, simulation automation, and cross-domain integration.
* Work closely with systems engineers to define load cases, boundary conditions, and performance budgets relevant to STOP modelling.
* Proactively engage with suppliers and test houses on mechanical and thermal interface requirements, mounting concepts, and thermal control strategies.
* Participate in design reviews, customer meetings, and bid/proposal efforts, serving as the subject matter expert for structural and thermal modeling of optical systems.
* Work with managers and supervisors to implement quality measures and standards, with an ultimate goal of scaling up to high volume manufacturing.