System Mechanical Design Engineer

Job Title

System Mechanical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Hands-on mechanical design engineer responsible for developing chassis and rack platforms for next-generation AI servers. Work at the intersection of silicon photonics, 3D packaging, and high-density thermal management, moving designs from CAD and prototypes to high-volume production with contract manufacturers.

Contribute practical engineering execution to build the physical backbone of next‑generation AI infrastructure.

Experience Level

Mid-level — expects 5+ years of experience in system mechanical design with multiple product releases.

Responsibilities

Deliver end-to-end mechanical design, integration, and production support for complex electro-optical systems.

• Design, test, analyze, integrate, qualify, and document hardware of moderate to high complexity.
• Package optical and electrical components to meet thermal and mechanical requirements.
• Create CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and work instructions; lead and manage design reviews and change requests.
• Lead hands-on prototyping and scale production with external contract manufacturers; manage fabricators for build-to-print and quality.
• Perform root-cause analysis and technical investigations with cross-functional teams.
• Define project timelines with program managers and manage engineering dependencies.
• Mitigate and manage supply-chain lead-time risks.
• Help establish technical roadmaps, best practices, and product feasibility assessments.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience for day-one contribution.

• 5+ years of system mechanical design experience with multiple successful product releases.
• Proficient in a 3D CAD solid modeling package (SolidWorks).
• Familiar with thermal and structural testing and analysis.
• Experience with mechanical design and analysis tools (ANSYS preferred).
• Strong understanding of heat transfer, strength of materials, materials selection, and design for vibration environments.
• Industry experience in electronics packaging.
• Strong communication skills and adaptability in execution.
• Ability to comply with U.S. export control laws and related requirements.

Nice-to-have:

• Familiarity with 3D printing equipment and processes.
• Experience with thermal simulation tools (IcePak, Flotherm) and additional FEA workflows.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field is required. A Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field is preferred.

About the Company

Company: Lightmatter

Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Lightmatter develops photonic AI data-center infrastructure and optical chips for extreme-scale AI and HPC. The company invented the Passage 3D‑stacked photonics engine to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects across large-scale processors and raised $400M in Series D financing at a reported $4.4B valuation.