Senior Mechanical Engineer

Senior Mechanical Engineer Charlottesville, VA | Full-Time | Exempt

Compensation Hiring Range: $110,000 - $155,000 annually
This hiring range represents the anticipated starting salary for this position. Individual offers are determined based on experience, qualifications, technical expertise, and internal equity.

Who we are Laser Thermal is pioneering the future of thermal metrology. We design and build advanced instruments that deliver fast, accurate thermal property measurements for the most demanding materials challenges, across semiconductors, aerospace, energy, and beyond. Born from academic research and built for real-world impact, we combine optical innovation with scalable engineering to empower R&D teams and production environments alike. Our team thrives on hands-on problem-solving, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a shared belief that better data drives better design. 
If you're passionate about building tools that make a measurable difference, you’ll find a home here. Visit our website to learn more about our solutions.

Your role and responsibilities As Laser Thermal continues to expand our product portfolio and advance the capabilities of our flagship FASTR platform, we are seeking an experienced Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our multidisciplinary engineering team. In this role, you will independently lead complex mechanical design efforts while collaborating with fellow senior engineers, scientists, software engineers, electrical engineers, and manufacturing personnel to develop the next generation of thermal metrology instrumentation. This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys solving challenging technical problems and seeing designs through every stage of the product lifecycle—from concept and prototyping to manufacturing, testing, and continuous product improvement. You will contribute to the evolution of existing products while helping develop innovative technologies that enable researchers and manufacturers to better understand the thermal properties of advanced materials. As a senior individual contributor, you will provide technical expertise across multiple engineering disciplines, working closely with cross-functional teams to develop reliable, manufacturable, and high-performing electromechanical systems. You will also share your experience through design reviews, technical collaboration, and informal mentoring while continuing to grow alongside a talented team of engineers. Because we are a growing company, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our products, engineering processes, and customer experience. If you enjoy building precision scientific instrumentation, working across disciplines, and taking ownership of challenging engineering problems, we'd love to hear from you. Key Responsibilities:

• Independently lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of complex mechanical systems supporting the FASTR product line and future product development initiatives.
• Design precision mechanical components, assemblies, and electromechanical systems that balance performance, manufacturability, reliability, serviceability, and cost.
• Create, maintain, and manage complex parts, assemblies, subassemblies, drawings, and engineering documentation using sound configuration and revision management practices.
• Design sheet metal, machined, fabricated, and custom mechanical components for low-volume manufacturing and future production scalability.
• Collaborate with research scientists, product managers, electrical engineers, software engineers, manufacturing technicians, and fellow mechanical engineers to develop integrated product solutions.
• Work closely with fabrication partners and suppliers, including vendors such as SendCutSend and Protocase, to optimize component designs and manufacturing processes.
• Build, assemble, test, troubleshoot, and validate prototypes and production systems, identifying opportunities to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Design, manufacture, and troubleshoot cable assemblies, including crimping, soldering, connectorization, and electrical integration.
• Interpret electrical schematics and collaborate with electrical engineers to integrate power distribution and electrical subsystems into mechanical designs.
• Design mechanical systems that effectively integrate optical, pneumatic, and electrical components while understanding how mechanical decisions influence overall system performance.
• Perform root cause investigations and implement engineering improvements to address product, manufacturing, and customer issues.
• Participate in design reviews and provide technical input throughout all phases of product development.
• Share technical expertise with teammates through collaboration, design reviews, and informal mentoring while contributing to a culture of continuous learning and engineering excellence.
• Support low-volume manufacturing activities and engineering builds as needed, reflecting the collaborative, hands-on environment of a growing technology company.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of experience designing and developing complex mechanical or electromechanical products in a product development environment.
• Experience independently leading mechanical design projects from concept through production.
• Advanced proficiency with SolidWorks, including large assemblies, subassemblies, configurations, and detailed manufacturing drawings.
• Strong experience designing sheet metal, machined, and fabricated components.
• Experience working directly with fabrication vendors and manufacturing partners.
• Experience designing products for manufacturability and supporting products through prototype, testing, production, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics and integrate electrical hardware into mechanical systems.
• Hands-on experience assembling, testing, troubleshooting, and validating mechanical and electromechanical systems.
• Experience manufacturing cable assemblies, including wiring, crimping, soldering, and connectorization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where engineers contribute across multiple aspects of product development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline.
• Experience designing scientific instrumentation, analytical equipment, or other precision electromechanical products.
• Experience designing optomechanical systems or integrating optical components into mechanical designs.
• Familiarity with fiber optic technologies.
• Experience with pneumatic and vacuum systems.
• Familiarity with microcontrollers, PLCs, and embedded hardware integration.
• Experience with rapid prototyping techniques, including CNC machining, additive manufacturing, and prototype fabrication.
• Familiarity with IEC/CDRH laser safety requirements.
• Familiarity with IEC 60204-1 electrical safety standards.
• Experience working in regulated industrial, laboratory, or manufacturing environments.
  
  

What we can offer you At Laser Thermal, we lead with Respect, Kindness, Competence, and Passion. Here you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Build something that has never been done before
• Grow your career as part of a dynamic startup
• Define your professional goals and be supported in reaching them
• Learn about cutting-edge optical metrology technologies
• Facilitate a supportive, collaborative, and science-loving culture

Laser Thermal benefits include:

• Health care plan (medical, dental, and vision) with FSA and HSA options
• Retirement plan with company contribution, 401(k)
• Basic life Insurance
• Long-term Disability
• Company stock option plan
• Paid time off (vacation, sick)
• 13 paid holidays
• Parental leave
• Health and wellness subsidy

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. Laser Thermal Analysis, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnic origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, and or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. As a federal contractor, Laser Thermal Analysis, Inc. is required to participate in the federal government's E-Verify program. The E-Verify process is completed in conjunction with a new hire's completion of the Form I-9 in order to confirm identity and work authorization in the United States.