Senior Mechanical Engineer
CleraOn-site - Detroit, Michigan, United StatesPosted 2026-10-30
- This listing's locations
- On-site - Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Employment
- Full-time
- Workplace
- On site
- Compensation
- 165000–210000 per year
Department: Engineering
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About the Role
Own major mechanical subsystems for ruggedized, field-deployable directed-energy systems, from architecture through production handoff. You will work on a lean engineering team to help ensure high-performance equipment operates reliably in demanding field conditions.
What You'll Do
- Design and validate mechanical subsystems, including laser source enclosures, gimbal and beam director 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 operate test rigs to characterize systems ahead of field deployment.
- Design to MIL-STD-810 shock and vibration requirements and other austere-environment standards.
- Take designs from concept through prototyping, bench validation, field testing, and manufacturing handoff.
- Lead design reviews, collaborate with senior engineers, mentor junior team members, and travel to field test events.
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 experience with ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent, including test validation and correlation.
- Experience designing to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards, and with precision optomechanical packaging.
- Thermal management experience on high-power systems, plus experience building and running bench test rigs and instrumentation.
- Experience with design for manufacturability and production handoff.
- BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- Background in lasers, directed energy, ruggedized optical benches, or vehicle-mounted systems is a plus.
- U.S. citizenship is required.
Compensation & Benefits
Base salary: $165,000 to $210,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location
On-site in Detroit, Michigan, with travel for field tests and range validation.