Aurora Logo

Aurora

Staff Mechanical Design Engineer - Optical Sensors

Job Posted 11 Days Ago Reposted 11 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Mountain View, CA
Senior level
Mountain View, CA
Senior level
Design and validate opto-mechanical enclosures for automotive sensors, collaborating with manufacturers and conducting performance analysis. Oversee junior engineers and create CAD models.
The summary above was generated by AI

Who We Are

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly to make transportation safer, increasingly accessible, and more reliable and efficient than ever before. The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.

At Aurora, you'll solve massively complex problems alongside other passionate, smart people, growing as an expert while broadening your field of knowledge. For Aurora’s latest news, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. We’re searching for a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer - Optical Sensors.

The HPE Mechanical Design team is responsible for the development of all custom hardware modules in the Aurora Driver Kit (ADK) including Compute modules, Sensor Pods, and Lidar. The team works cross-functionally with EE, layout, CAE, Reliability, EMC, NPI, Operations, and other R&D teams to deliver the robust, scalable electro-mechanical solutions that power the Aurora Driver. Our team starts development at the earliest stages of product scoping and technology exploration and carries products through mass production at scale with our manufacturing partners.

The ideal candidate should have a strong history of bringing high-volume optical sensor products to market, ideally in the automotive or consumer electronics industries. Demonstrated technical ownership over shipping optical sensors, optical mechanisms, cameras, lidar, or similar technologies is desired. The candidate will be part of a larger (~20x) mechanical engineering group, with support from a best-in-industry CAE simulation and optical engineering team, but should stand-out as a domain expert in opto mechanical designs. This is a new role on the team added to support additional project scope. The candidate should be experienced in completing DFM/DFA with high-volume, overseas suppliers and be proficient in 3D CAD (CATIA preferred), 2D drawing creation using GD&T, and optical analysis using Zemax or equivalent tool;. High power, high thermal density and high speed electronics experience would be additional bonuses.

In this role, you will

  • Designing and validating opto-mechanical enclosures that achieve or exceed performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost requirements for next generation automotive sensors
  • Collaborating with Contract Manufacturers to kick off mass production tooling and complete engineering builds leading up to the start of high volume production
  • Performing, documenting, and presenting engineering analysis and testing of opto-mechanical sensor performance
  • Hands-on Prototyping and validating next generation automotive sensors
  • Presenting, documenting and educating others regarding mechanical and optical architectural decisions made
  • Directing junior-level engineers, assisting senior-level engineers, and cross-functional supporting teams on various projects
  • Creating 3D models, 2D drawings, and engineering BOMs in CATIA 3DX
  • Performing basic structural/thermal analysis using both hand calculations and FEA
  • Support evaluating and characterizing optical elements and mounts
  • Implement geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) methods and conventions in accordance with ASME 14.5-2009 in 2D specifications

Required Qualifications

  • BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering with 7+ years of industry experience in Opto-Mechanical Design
  • Strong background in mechanical engineering, optics, mounting of optical components and packaging
  • Skilled in the use of solid modeling CAD tools (ideally CATIA)
  • Experience with optical analysis, including sequential and non-sequential analysis, using Zemax or equivalent tool
  • Experience working directly with and managing relationships with suppliers, ideally automotive OEMs and/or Asia-based Contract Manufacturers
  • Proven Strong analytical and hands-on engineering skills;
  • Understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing methods and conventions in accordance with ASME 14.5-2009
  • Ability to work in a hands-on prototyping and test environment
  • Excellent oral, written, and communication communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Experience conducting FEA thermal/ structural analysis, ideally with ANSYS Workbench
  • Experience in automotive cameras and sensors is a plus
  • Experience with Matlab or Python or equivalent tool is a plus

The base salary range for this position is $181,000.00-$290,000.00 per year.  Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

#LI-DW1

#Mid-Senior


Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at careersiteaccommodations@aurora.tech.

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.

To learn more about life at Aurora please visit our company culture page. 

Top Skills

Ansys Workbench
Catia
Matlab
Python
Zemax
HQ

Aurora Mountain View, California, USA Office

280 N Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, CA, United States, 94043,

Similar Jobs

55 Minutes Ago
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
138K-207K Annually
Mid level
138K-207K Annually
Mid level
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Hardware • Robotics • Security • Software • Defense
As a Firmware Engineer, you'll develop low-level firmware for microcontrollers, troubleshoot issues across electrical and firmware boundaries, and collaborate with electrical engineers on schematics.
Top Skills: CCanEthernetI2CMicrocontrollersRs232Rs485RtosSpiUsb
3 Hours Ago
Hybrid
San Francisco, CA, USA
Senior level
Senior level
Financial Services
The Lead Software Engineer will design, develop, and maintain backend systems, optimize AI-driven workloads, and implement scalable cloud solutions. Responsibilities include collaborating with teams, conducting code reviews, and integrating security measures.
Top Skills: AWSAzureDockerGCPGoHugging FaceJavaKubernetesOpenai ApisPythonPyTorchTensorFlow
3 Hours Ago
Remote
3 Locations
Mid level
Mid level
Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Software • Defense
Lead a team in developing and enhancing OSINT data collection software, focusing on web traffic processing and operational security.
Top Skills: AWSPostgresPythonTemporal.Io

What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene

San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.

Key Facts About San Francisco Tech

  • Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
  • Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
  • Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
  • Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
  • Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
  • Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
By clicking Apply you agree to share your profile information with the hiring company.

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account