DESIGN ENGINEER - OPTICAL & MECHANICAL

Jr. Design Engineer, Optical and Mechanical Systems

WMD is an established small business specializing in the design and manufacture of ultraprecision optical instruments to support a broad range of scientific research around the world and in space. The work is challenging and requires our team members to be able to balance technical, environmental, business, cost, usability, manufacturability, and a myriad of other requirements while creating novel solutions to our customer’s needs. A core competency of our team is the ability to create designs that require no prototypes and that work reliably for years, sometimes decades in their very first incarnation. This may sound daunting, but we have evolved a very supportive and collaborative culture that allows all team members access to the skills, feedback and support of the rest of the company. While we place a high value on technical skills, we also value the individuality and unique experiences and needs of all our team members. Striving for work life balance, care for each other’s well-being and frequently checking in to make sure team members feel supported and valued is a key part of our success and contentment as a team.

You are passionate about designing, analyzing, creating and understanding every aspect of whatever you work on. You strive to not only understand what works, but WHY it works down to basic physics and how to make it work better. You are pragmatic and able to compromise to achieve a well-balanced design because there are always conflicting requirements. You prefer working from a strong set of basic guiding principles rather than an infinite list of rigid procedures. You are flexible and able to pivot when problems and conflicts arise. You are thorough and work hard to understand your work deeply to create the most effective designs possible. You are emotionally intelligent and patient with yourself, coworkers, and customers because you realize we are all learning and doing the best we can. You strive to always do better in your technical work and your interpersonal interactions. You value growth in yourself and your teammates and strive to lift everyone up. 

We offer industry competitive pay. However, our other benefits are where we shine!

Job Description:

The Mechanical Design Engineer collects and digests requirements to create 3D CAD models and 2D toleranced manufacturing drawings of mechanical assemblies. You will have opportunities to work on exciting projects like:

·      Optics for high-powered lasers

·      Scientific and tactical instruments such as LiDARS for atmospheric sensing and target ranging and multi- and hyperspectral imaging cameras

·      Ultra-Precision Parts Manufacturing to support research labs

·      Diamond Turning Machining to nanometer tolerances

·      Telescopes for use in challenging environments like space and aircraft

·      Air-borne instrumentation for NASA & Military customers

·      Create detailed multi-view hand sketches of products prior to starting work in CAD software – computers are amazing when you need precision and the ability to edit a design. But nothing beats the speed and efficiency of pencil, paper and hand sketching during the rapid concept development phase. Artistic skills have been very helpful for other team members so embrace your artistic side!

·      Use 3D CAD software (PTC CREO) to develop designs and manufacturing drawings from concept sketches

·      Review yours and teammates’ designs for compliance with engineering principles, company standards, customer contract requirements, and related specifications

·      Perform hand and FEA structural analysis of designs as needed and use results to optimize designs for mass, stiffness, strength, vibration modes, etc

·      Perform preliminary and advanced development for new proposals and concepts

·      Perform assembly of designs after parts are machined

·      Perform detailed inspections of parts using various inspection equipment including CMM – training provided

·      Operate high precision manufacturing equipment as required - training provided

·      Minimum Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in mechanical, aerospace or manufacturing engineering

·      Experience with PTC CREO CAD software desired

·      Experience with machining, precision instruments, optics a plus

·      Experience designing and building things – usually in college or extracurricular hobbies for junior candidates

- A portfolio showing samples of past designs and drawings is very helpful. No proprietary materials please.

·      Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists

·      Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, verbal and other forms

·      Ability to read, understand and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, 2D manufacturing drawings with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), government regulations and standards and customer contract requirements and statements of work

·      Ability to work with minimal supervision and capable of self-checking for completeness and accuracy of work produced

·      Ability to take initiative and able to contribute in design reviews

·      Skilled in PC usage, office applications, and basic computer networking understanding

·      Ability to learn new software easily is a plus

·      Good manual dexterity and familiarity with assembly of small parts

·      Familiar with proper assembly procedures for precision instruments and able to assist with assembly of developed designs

·      Ability to lift 40 pounds on limited basis, less than 20 pounds regularly

All candidates must be a US citizen.