Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Meta - Redmond, WA

Full-time

Redmond, WA

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About the position

As an Opto-Mechanical Engineer at Facebook Reality Labs - Research, you will play a pivotal role in developing cutting-edge solutions, mechanisms, and prototypes for next-generation near-to-eye display (NED) consumer products. This position is integral to creating transformative user experiences, and you will be part of a dynamic team that explores new technical solutions from the initial concept development phase through analytical modeling, prototype design, construction, and testing. You will collaborate with multiple teams across both research and product development organizations, as well as with external partners, to establish robust technology proof of concepts. We are looking for individuals with strong problem-solving skills who thrive in cross-functional teams. You should be able to brainstorm innovative ideas, work in unexplored technology areas, and drive concepts into functional prototypes. A solid engineering background is essential, along with a willingness to quickly become an expert in new areas. You will be tasked with building unique prototypes using novel materials, processes, and system integration strategies, which will require creativity and technical expertise. In this role, you will design, build, and deploy demonstrators for both display and optics subsystems, as well as fully integrated head-mounted displays (HMDs). You will also be responsible for creating custom equipment for low-volume manufacturing, metrology, and optical assembly. Your work will involve simulating and analyzing the structural and thermal performance of system elements, guiding the design and integration of electrical and optical system components, and optimizing system performance in collaboration with mechanical, electrical, optical, and software engineers. Additionally, you will explore and develop novel mechanical design forms and fabrication methods to unlock new materials and capabilities for prototyping, and establish relationships with vendors and research institutions to enhance component development.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy demonstrators for both display and optics subsystems and fully integrated HMDs
• Design, build, and deploy custom equipment for low volume manufacturing, metrology, and optical assembly
• Design, simulate, and analyze basic structural and thermal performance of system elements
• Guide the design, analysis, and own integration of electrical and optical system elements into tools and demonstrators
• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, optical, and software engineers to optimize individual system elements with an ultimate goal of improving full system performance
• Explore, develop, and demonstrate novel mechanical design forms and fabrication methods to unlock new materials and capabilities for prototyping
• Develop methods and designs for high precision optical mounting, actuation, and measurement
• Discover and develop relationships with vendor companies and research institutions to develop new components and capabilities

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience in mechanical or opto-mechanical engineering or a related field
• 5+ years experience in mechanical or opto-mechanical engineering or an equivalent role
• Technical communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience with modeling complex mechanical assemblies in CAD
• Hands-on prototyping skills: building, testing, troubleshooting
• Experience with heterogeneous system integration

Nice-to-haves

• 8+ years experience in mechanical or opto-mechanical engineering or an equivalent role
• Demonstrated full system or product ownership
• Experience integrating complex electro-opto-mechanical systems
• Experience with precision mechanism design
• Experience with optical component packaging
• Knowledge of basic optical principles
• Basic FEA skills for modeling structural and thermal systems, COMSOL or Ansys preferred
• Experience with modeling complex assemblies in CAD, Solidworks or NX preferred
• Experience with scripting and data analysis, Python or Matlab preferred
• Experience with drawing creation, tolerance analysis, and GD&T
• Experience with quick-turn fabrication processes (3D printing, machining, molding)
• Experience creating and working within industrial design models
• Experience with consumer product mechanical design
• Experience with design for manufacturability optimization
• Experience with design for human factors optimization