Mechanical Engineer - Automation & Testing

Avicena is a privately held company developing microLED based ultra-low power high bandwidth interconnects for chip-to-chip communications. This technology will revolutionize High-Performance (HPC) and Cloud computing, as well as other industries where low power interconnects are critical like camera sensors, autonomous vehicles, and aerospace. Avicena is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with a development center in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded in 2019 by leading technologists from the optical networking industry with a track record of delivering breakthrough products.

About the role:

We are seeking an entry-level to mid-level (IC1 - IC2) mechanical engineer to join our interdisciplinary Automation and Testing team. This role is critical to developing the mechanical infrastructure that enables high-speed, automated testing of our uLED optical interconnect technology. You'll design fixtures, test stations, and automation systems that validate our cutting-edge products while working at the intersection of mechanical design, optics, electronics, and software.

Responsibilities:

Mechanical Design & Development

Design mechanical parts, fixtures, and assemblies with proper GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis

Create detailed mechanical drawings and prepare specifications for manufacturing vendors

Design for different materials (metals, plastics, composites) and manufacturing methods (CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal)

Understand design trade-offs between prototyping methods (3D printing) and production manufacturing (machining)

Understand design revisioning, PDM and PLM

Work with mechanical, electrical, optical, and software engineers to develop project strategies and approaches

Select appropriate fasteners and develop assembly strategies for multi-component systems

Test Fixture & Automation System Design

Design and build mechanical mock-ups and proof-of-concept prototypes to validate design approaches before full system integration

Develop test fixtures for optical testing, including wafer probing, LED/photodetector array alignment, and fiber optic integration

Design fixtures that accommodate movement requirements, balancing complexity, accuracy, and speed for high-throughput automation

Create mechanical systems that manage vibration control, thermal effects, vacuum hold-downs, and part handling

Design for ESD protection and clean room environments where required

Assembly & System Integration

Perform micron-level assembly and alignment of optical components

Integrate mechanical fixtures with electronics, circuit boards, and optical test equipment

Develop low-volume assembly production processes and maintain component inventory

Build and validate sub-modules before full system assembly

Retrofit and upgrade existing designs to add new capabilities or improve performance

Vendor & Manufacturing Collaboration

Communicate with manufacturing houses to understand their capabilities and design within those constraints

Source quotes and submit purchase requests for components and materials

Manage parts procurement and inventory for sub-assemblies and test systems

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

0-3 years of professional experience in mechanical design and prototyping

Proficiency in mechanical CAD software (Autodesk Inventor preferred)

Strong understanding of:

GD&T principles and tolerance analysis

Material properties and selection criteria

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)

Fastener selection and assembly techniques

Hands-on prototyping skills and experience building physical assemblies

Ability to work independently in a fast-paced startup environment

Excellent teamwork and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with motion control systems (linear stages, actuators, servo systems)

Knowledge of optical systems, fiber optics, or optical testing methods

Familiarity with RF testing or other specialized test methodologies

Understanding of electronics, circuit boards, and PCB integration

Experience with thermal management and vacuum systems

Knowledge of clean room protocols and requirements

Experience with FEA analysis tools (COMSOL, ANSYS)

Exposure to automation equipment, robotics, or vision systems

Familiarity with MATLAB, Python or similar

What We're Looking For:

We seek a highly motivated, mechanically-minded problem solver who isn't afraid to get hands-on. You should be comfortable taking someone else's design and improving it, or building something entirely new from scratch. You'll need to think systematically about how to break complex problems into manageable modules, validate your approaches, and iterate quickly while considering wide-ranging system constraints.

The ideal candidate thrives in a startup environment where resourcefulness, independence and adaptability are essential. You should be excited about working at the cutting edge of optical interconnect technology and contributing to systems that will transform high-performance computing.