Mechanical Designer
Tucson,
AZ,
United States
Company Profile
AOM is bringing decades of experience in optical metrology expertise to bear on some of the most demanding optics applications on earth – the fast-growing commercial space telescope industry, extreme precision optics for EUV lithography, and a host of other consumer, research, and industrial technologies that will shape humanity’s future through optics.
We are a fast-growing optics metrology business supporting amazing technology development all around the world. We operate with the pace and feel of a tech startup with the security of a mature technology at its core. It’s challenging, fun, and offers many opportunities to learn and grow for a motivated Mechanical Designer.
Our products and services include:
• Computer Generated Holograms (CGHs) enabling interferometric testing of optical surfaces – aspheres, freeforms, cylinders, conic sections, and many other complex surface shapes and optical systems
• Mechanics for precise positioning and alignment of CGHs and test optics
• Development of complete optical test setups for the fast-growing commercial space telescope industry, consumer electronics customers, the semiconductor lithography industry, and many other applications.
Essential Functions
Create preliminary designs modeled in SolidWorks and work with the engineering team to refine them for manufacturability
Develop production-ready documentation packages: detailed 3D solid models (parts and assemblies), engineering drawings with appropriate tolerances and GD&T annotations, bills of materials (BOMs), and work instructions/procedures
Interpret engineering intent incorporating technically critical features (e.g., kinematic mounts, flexures, tightly toleranced interfaces), then design supporting structure so finished assemblies are straightforward to fabricate, assemble, and install
Apply design-for-manufacturability throughout: produce clean, efficient designs that can be built and assembled with a focus on minimizing cost and complexity
Create and check drawings to engineering standards, ensuring packages are ready for handoff to manufacturing
Build and manage large assemblies intelligently — structuring them into simple configurations and proactively catching interferences, fit, and size-mismatch issues
Work to scoped deliverables and milestones (via Statement of Work for the contract phase), with regular check-ins to review progress, resolve design questions, and align on priorities
(Growth/stretch) Take ownership of CAD file structure and configuration management, with potential to help shape a future PDM workflow as the mechanical team grows
Qualifications
The successful candidate will possess these skills and qualifications:
Required
- Strong experience in 3D mechanical design with SolidWorks (CATIA or similar acceptable), including parts and assemblies
- Working knowledge of standard manufacturing processes and how they drive design decisions
- Demonstrated ability to tolerance components and assemblies for economical manufacture
- Proficiency creating and checking engineering drawings
- Working knowledge of GD&T
- Experience producing complete documentation (BOMs, procedures, work instructions) for custom fabricated parts
- Strong technical communication skills
- Ability to interpret design intent — seeing the end goal and exercising independent judgment (e.g., flagging errors or issues early rather than simply executing a redline)
- US Citizenship or
Permanent Resident (green card) required
-
Desired
- Hands-on manufacturing experience in machining, NC programming, welding, additive manufacturing
- Experience with large-assembly design and optimization
- Familiarity with precision mechanical assemblies, optics, or optomechanics.
- Space hardware experience
- Experience with PDM systems and CAD configuration management
- Existing relationships with local manufacturing companies (Tucson, AZ and Rochester, NY)
Why AOM?
We are a fast-growing optics metrology business supporting amazing technology development all around the world. We operate with the pace and feel of a tech startup with the security of a mature technology at its core. It’s challenging, fun, and offers many opportunities to learn and grow for a motivated Mechanical Designer.
Two positions are available, one in our Tucson, AZ headquarters and one in our Rochester, NY Metrology Systems Division location.
Compensation
Competitive salary
Generous benefits package
Perks
401k contribution
Profit sharing
Community
Company lunches, activities, and events
Opportunity
Learn and grow under the mentorship of optics community leaders