Mechanical Engineer (Optomechanical)

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Salary: $100,000–$148,256 per year

Company

hirify.global is a fusion energy startup developing clean, safe, and abundant energy solutions with scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in Europe and Colorado.

What you will do

• Design and optimize large optical mounts for micron and sub-micron positioning and high angular stability.
• Perform modal, harmonic, and random-vibration/PSD analyses to identify resonances and predict optical displacement and angular stability.
• Evaluate thermal expansion, temperature gradients, mirror deformation, optical alignment, and wavefront quality.
• Optimize structures for eigenfrequency, vibration sensitivity, mass, manufacturability, accessibility, and adjustment capability.
• Select materials and integrate precision adjustment components such as flexures, bearings, actuators, motors, and precision stages.
• Develop CAD and mechanical models, support prototype testing, and correlate simulations with vibration, thermal, displacement, and alignment measurements.

Requirements

• Experience designing large, stable optical mounts or optomechanical assemblies for high-energy laser systems.
• Strong knowledge of precision mechanical design, kinematics, stiffness, backlash, repeatability, and alignment.
• Experience with thermal and thermo-mechanical simulation, heat transfer, cooling concepts, and structural deformation.
• Knowledge of engineering materials, including CTE, stiffness, thermal conductivity, dimensional stability, and vacuum compatibility.
• Proficiency with CAD and mechanical modeling tools such as SolidWorks, Inventor, or similar, including thermal and vibrational analysis.
• Ability to translate optical requirements into mechanical, thermal, positioning, and stability requirements and collaborate with optical engineers, physicists, controls engineers, and manufacturing teams.

Nice to have

• Experience with high-energy, high-power, or ultra-short-pulse laser systems, including compressors, stretchers, large mirrors, gratings, or beam-transport systems.
• Experience with micron or sub-micron positional precision and microradian or sub-microradian angular stability.
• Experience with coupled thermal-structural, harmonic-response, and PSD/random-vibration analyses correlated with experimental measurements.
• Hands-on experience manufacturing, assembling, aligning, testing, and validating large precision optical systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Purpose-driven work focused on clean, safe, and abundant fusion energy.
• Flexible working hours and work environment.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and families.
• 401(k) pension plan, disability coverage, phone bill reimbursement, and employee incentive program.
• Learning and development budget, 31 days of PTO, company-wide holidays, and up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave.