Optomechanical Engineer

Mechanical / Optomechanical Engineer — Production Engineering · Brooklyn Navy Yard, NY · Full-time, on-site

We are seeking a Mechanical/Optomechanical Engineer to join our Production Engineering Team at Qunnect. As a core member of the design team, you'll transform quantum-optics prototypes into rack-mounted products that are optimized for manufacturing and robust performance. The role entails general mechanical design (chassis, enclosures, structures and rack integration) and optomechanical design of the fiber/free-space assemblies inside our Carina product suite. You'll own the documentation, fixtures and processes that support the assembly, characterization and support teams.

This is a full-time, on-site, mid-level role in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary R&D setting. You'll sit in Production Engineering and work closely with our prototype engineers, our science team, and the assembly technicians who build our products. The majority of this role will be production work, with a share supporting new designs in prototyping.

About Qunnect. Qunnect is a dynamic, venture-backed startup at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We build and deploy first-in-class hardware that transforms existing telecom fiber into quantum-secure networks for defense, intelligence, financial services and critical infrastructure customers. Our products sit at the intersection of optics, atomic physics and electronics, and are deployed on commercial fiber networks in the US and Europe.

Mechanical Design

• Chassis and enclosures. Design 19" rack-mount chassis, module housings and internal structures in sheet metal and machined parts, balancing stiffness, weight, cost and serviceability.

• Rack and system integration. Package optical modules, electronics, power supplies, cabling and fiber management into complete cabinet systems, with sensible airflow and heat management, and own the mechanical side of interfaces with the electrical team.

• Field robustness. Design for shipping, installation and uncontrolled telecom environments, and back it up with analysis and test where it matters.

Optomechanical Design

• Design for production. Take prototype optomechanical layouts — diode laser mounts, atomic vapor cell assemblies, polarization optics, fiber couplers and free-space beam paths — and redesign them for stability, manufacturability and cost.

• Alignment and stability. Design epoxied and fixed-optic assemblies, with the tolerance stack-ups and alignment budgets to show they hold alignment through temperature changes, transport and service.

Process Responsibilities

• Define interfaces. Specify and document the mechanical and optical interfaces between modules and subsystems so teams can design to them independently.

• Build the manufacturing package. Produce drawings, BOMs, assembly and alignment procedures, and acceptance tests; design the fixtures and tooling technicians use on the floor.

• Run change control. Release and revise designs through our Engineering Change Order process, and help build out the design-specification and PLM infrastructure around it as we grow.

• Close the loop with the floor. Work hands-on with assembly technicians to diagnose yield and build problems, then fix the root cause in the design or process.

• Manage vendors. Work with machine shops, sheet-metal fabricators and optics suppliers; qualify suppliers and incoming parts.

• Support deployments. When necessary, help our field support team install and support our systems at customer and partner facilities, incorporating feedback into future designs.

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (preferred), Optical Engineering, Physics or a related field.

• 3–6 years designing precision mechanical or optomechanical hardware, with at least one design you carried from concept into production or repeated builds.

• Strong 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred) and clear, production-ready drawings.

• Design for manufacturing across machined, sheet-metal and purchased parts, including DFM feedback from shops and fabricators.

• Thermal design fundamentals: heat paths, forced-air cooling, and thermal expansion effects on precision assemblies.

• Optomechanical fundamentals: kinematic and fixed/epoxied optic mounting, and translating optical requirements (pointing, beam height, coupling efficiency) into mechanical tolerances.

• Hands-on lab and build skills, including basic free-space alignment and fiber coupling.

• Clear technical writing.

• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset; comfortable working across physics, electrical and manufacturing teams.

• Proficiency with modern digital tools to streamline your workflow.

• Experience packaging diode lasers (butterfly, ECDL, DBR) and managing optical feedback and isolation.

• Polarization-maintaining fiber, polarization optics and fiber management in compact enclosures.

• GD&T, and FEA for structural or thermal analysis (SolidWorks Simulation, ANSYS, COMSOL).

• Designing rack-mounted or field-deployed instruments, including integrating third-party equipment such as cryostats, compressors or UPS units.

• Setting up or working within PLM and formal change-control systems.

• Python, MATLAB or Mathematica for analysis, modeling or test automation, including analyzing test data to evaluate build quality or system performance.

• Job type: Full-time, on-site at our Brooklyn Navy Yard lab and production facility, with potential for travel to customer sites and network deployments.

• Reports to: Head of Product, within Production Engineering.

• Compensation: $125,000 to $175,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience

• Benefits: 401(k) with company matching; health, vision and dental insurance; paid time off.

• Supplemental compensation: Bonus pay and stock options.

We don't expect candidates to match every qualification above — if the work excites you, apply.

At Qunnect, we offer a stimulating and collaborative work environment, competitive compensation, and the chance to build hardware at the forefront of quantum networking.

Must be physically located in the United States and legally able to work in the United States. We are not able to support work authorization sponsorship for this role.

Qunnect is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.