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Senior Mechanical Engineer

Laser Thermal

Job Location:

Charlottesville, VA - USA

Yearly Salary: $ 110000 - 155000

Posted: 6 August 2026 (5 hours ago)

Application Deadline: 3 November 2026

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Charlottesville VA Full-Time Exempt

Compensation

Hiring Range: $110000 - $155000 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 youre passionate about building tools that make a measurable difference youll 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 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 lifecyclefrom 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 youll 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 wed 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:

Bachelors 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:

Masters 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 youll 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 governments E-Verify program. The E-Verify process is completed in conjunction with a new hires completion of the Form I-9 in order to confirm identity and work authorization in the United States.

Required Experience:

Senior IC

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