Senior Mechanical Engineer
Clera · Detroit · $165,000–$210,000 (stated in the posting)
About the Role
Own major mechanical subsystems for ruggedized directed-energy systems, from architecture through production handoff. You will work on a lean engineering team to build and validate field-deployable hardware designed to perform in demanding environments.
What You'll Do
Design and validate laser enclosures, beam director and gimbal structures, and precision mounts.
Perform static, modal, random vibration, and shock response spectrum FEA, then correlate results with bench and field testing.
Develop thermal management solutions for high-power laser and electronics packaging across thermal cycles.
Build, instrument, and run test rigs to characterize systems before field deployment.
Design for MIL-STD-810 shock and vibration requirements and other austere operating conditions.
Take designs from concept through prototyping, validation, field testing, and manufacturing handoff.
Lead design reviews, collaborate across engineering disciplines, and mentor junior engineers.
Travel to field tests and range events to validate and improve system performance.
What We're Looking For
At least 5 years of mechanical engineering experience with ruggedized, field-deployable, or high-performance systems, including taking a subsystem from prototype to production.
Strong hands-on FEA skills with ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent, including test correlation.
Experience designing to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards, and with precision optomechanical packaging.
Thermal management experience for high-power systems, plus experience building and running validation rigs and instrumentation.
Experience with design for manufacturability and manufacturing handoff.
BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
Laser, directed-energy, ruggedized optical bench, or vehicle-mounted systems experience is a plus.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Compensation & Benefits
Base salary is $165,000 to $210,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location
On-site in Detroit, Michigan, with travel required for field testing and range validation.