Lead Mechanical Engineer

Company Description SiLC Technologies, Inc. is a machine vision innovator focused on enabling human-like perception for applications such as autonomous driving, robotics, and smart cameras. The company is distinguished as the only organization to successfully integrate an FMCW imaging system on a cost-effective silicon platform. Founded in 2018 by silicon photonics veterans with extensive product development and manufacturing experience, SiLC leverages a proprietary silicon-based semiconductor fabrication process and standard automated IC assembly methods.

About the Role

Lead the mechanical and thermal engineering organization responsible for next-generation LiDAR products from concept through production. Drive architecture, productization, reliability, qualification, and team development while partnering across optics, photonics, electronics, software, systems, and manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

· Define and drive the mechanical and thermal architecture for LiDAR products, balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and customer requirements.

· Lead packaging and integration of lasers, optics, photonics, electronics, scanners, and embedded compute hardware into robust sensing platforms.

· Develop innovative air-cooled and liquid-cooled thermal solutions for lasers, optical amplifiers, photonic devices, processors, and power electronics.

· Own thermal modeling, characterization, validation, and correlation between simulation and test results.

· Lead shock, vibration, fatigue, environmental, and reliability engineering activities for automotive and industrial environments.

· Drive qualification testing including thermal cycling, mechanical shock, vibration, and long-term reliability assessments.

· Oversee FEA, thermal, structural, and dynamic simulations using industry-standard tools.

· Drive DFM, DFA, tolerance analysis, cost optimization, and manufacturing readiness activities.

· Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing mechanical engineering team.

· Partner with executive leadership to define technology roadmaps and product development strategies.

Must-Have Skills

· BS in Mechanical Engineering with 10+ years of experience or MS with 5+ years of experience.

· Proven engineering leadership experience with responsibility for technical direction and personnel management.

· Strong expertise in mechanical design, thermal management, and precision electromechanical systems.

· Understanding of laser thermal behavior, thermal management, and electronics cooling.

· Hands-on experience with shock, vibration, structural analysis, reliability engineering, and qualification testing.

· Advanced proficiency with SolidWorks and COMSOL Multiphysics.

· Experience developing complex electro-optical products from concept through production.

· Strong knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, materials selection, and manufacturing processes.

· Exceptional collaboration skills across optics, photonics, electronics, DSP, software, and operations teams.

Desired Skills

· Experience developing LiDAR, optical sensing, imaging, or photonics products.

· Knowledge of rotating optics, polygon scanners, MEMS scanners, or beam-steering technologies.

· Experience with advanced FEA tools

· Familiarity with automotive qualification and environmental standards.

· Knowledge of optical alignment, optomechanical systems, and photonic packaging.

• · Experience supporting NPI, production ramp, and contract manufacturing.

SALARY RANGE: $140,000-$160,000 annual salary