The Role

Ramona is seeking an Optomechanical Engineer (IC3) to contribute to the development of optical and optomechanical subsystems within the MCAM platform.

This role sits at the intersection of optical design, mechanical integration, and system prototyping, helping translate optical concepts into robust hardware that can be assembled, calibrated, and deployed in real research environments.

The Optomechanical Engineer will work closely with engineers across optics, mechanics, electronics, and software to design, prototype, and validate imaging and illumination subsystems that meet the performance and reliability requirements of the MCAM platform.

Responsibilities

• Optical System Design & Prototyping
Design, prototype, and evaluate optical subsystems for the MCAM platform, including illumination modules, imaging paths, and optical subassemblies integrated within the larger instrument.

• Optomechanical Hardware Prototyping
Design, prototype, and verify optomechanical components supporting the optical system, including mounts, alignment structures, support frames, and other mechanical interfaces required for stable optical performance.

• Optical Integration & Alignment
Perform optical alignment, calibration, and validation of imaging and illumination subsystems to ensure system performance meets optical specifications.

• Optical Performance Characterization
Design and execute experiments to measure optical performance metrics such as resolution, illumination uniformity, signal-to-noise ratio, and imaging stability.

• Optical System Simulation & Design Optimization
Use optical modeling tools (e.g., Zemax, Code V, or equivalent) to evaluate and optimize optical configurations prior to prototyping and manufacturing.

• Optical Calibration Workflow Development
Develop repeatable optical calibration and alignment procedures that ensure consistent performance across development and production systems.

• System Assembly & Integration
Participate in the assembly, integration, and calibration of MCAM systems, identifying opportunities to streamline build procedures and improve reliability of optical subsystems.

Qualifications

• PhD in Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field preferred; MS or BS with equivalent experience designing and building optical hardware will also be considered

• Masters + 4+ years of experience developing optical or optomechanical hardware systems

• Hands-on experience with optical alignment, calibration, and performance characterization

• Familiarity with optical simulation tools such as Zemax, Code V, or similar

• Experience with mechanical CAD tools (SolidWorks, Onshape, or similar)

• Comfort working in a hands-on hardware development environment, including prototype assembly and testing

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams

• Familiarity with Image Processing and Python are a plus.

What Success Looks Like

• Optical subsystems meet or exceed performance specifications and stability requirements

• Optical designs transition smoothly from prototype to manufacturable subsystems

• Calibration and alignment procedures enable consistent optical performance across systems

• Optical issues encountered during development or system assembly are identified and resolved efficiently

• The engineer contributes to improving the robustness and scalability of the MCAM optical platform

• Optical design changes should be communicated and integrated with the Software Team so that they can be made available to customers