Director, Opto-Mechanical Engineering

Director of Optomechanical Engineering at Picarro

Santa Clara, CA

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced engineering leader for development of our next-generation

spectroscopy platform and gas measurement products.

Picarro’s family of products deliver real-time measurements of critical gases at parts-per-billion and parts-per-trillion

levels. The Director of Optomechanical Engineering will be part of world-class team of engineers working to develop

products using Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS) with broadband lasers for best-in-class precision and

performance. This is an amazing career development opportunity for the right individual to join a well-funded and

growing company. The position reports to the SVP of Engineering and is part of the engineering management

leadership team.

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished leader in optical engineering design and technology, and passionate

about solving cross-function product development and manufacturing challenges. Candidate must have successfully

launched new optical products through phases of R&D innovation, design and development. The right person has a

can-do attitude, elevates others naturally, and is dedicated to building world-class products and teams. They love

working in a collaborative environment where they can learn as well as teach. In short, they want to be challenged

and have a huge impact on the future of the company.

Key Responsibilities

Lead a team of engineers responsible for creating designs and processes to build new optical subsystems for

significant performance gains, as well as improvements in reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.

Technical Leadership and Expertise:

• Be a hands-on leader who can provide technical guidance and oversight to engineering teams for

development and manufacturing of high-precision and high-performing micro-optomechanical systems.

• Familiarity with near-infrared optical components such as lasers, detectors, isolators, and coated optics.

• Technical expertise with micro-bench optics, active/passive alignment processes, and maintaining

mechanical tolerances at micron levels.

• Knowledge of modern optical attachment techniques including UV/thermal epoxies, soldering, and laser

welding to improve manufacturability and reliability.

• Familiarity with optical feedback techniques, single-mode fiber launch.

• Experience in high-reliability applications requiring wide operating/storage temperature ranges.

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices, and incorporate them into

product development strategies.

• Establish and maintain technical standards, processes, and methodologies to ensure high-quality

deliverables and efficient operations.

• Be a visionary for innovative solutions and platform thinking to solve tough technical challenges.

Product Development and Innovation:

• Oversee the full product development lifecycle of optical subsystems in instruments, from initial concept to

market launch.

• Drive creation of new designs and processes to build optical subsystems for significant performance gains,

as well as improvements in reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.

• Manage the integration of optomechanical components with electronic control systems and embedded

software for next-generation CRDS instruments.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, sales, and customer support, to

ensure successful product launches and customer satisfaction.

Management and Team Building:

• Recruit, develop, and lead a talented team of optical, optomechanical, process, and packaging engineers.• Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment between various engineering teams.

• Demonstrated ability to manage potential risks in development and manufacturing of optical subassemblies

for successful product delivery.

• Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and guidance to the team that encourages creativity, continuous

learning, and professional growth while ensuring alignment with company goals and objectives.

• Partner with our US and international teams across Engineering, R&D, Product and Sales/Marketing.

• Establish a culture of ownership, collaboration, quality, and fun that reflects our values and start-up ethos.

Project Management and Execution:

• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of complex engineering projects, ensuring adherence to

timelines, budgets, and quality standards.

• Lead, develop and grow the best engineering talent to create enterprise-grade products and to drive

engineering best practices.

• Monitor project progress, identify risks and issues, and take proactive measures to mitigate them.

Qualifications and Experience

• BS required. MS or PhD preferred in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in engineering or R&D, with at least 10 years in a leadership role.

• 7+ years in optical design, optomechanical alignment, attachment, and packaging of compact optical

subassemblies

• Strong understanding of system architecture and design of devices with optical, mechanical, electronics, and

software subsystems.

• Extensive knowledge of development methodologies, tools, and best practices. Proficiency in simulation

tools for mechanical (e.g., FEA) and optical (e.g., ray tracing) analysis.

• Experience with compliance and safety-critical device development.

• Proven track record of successfully leading engineering teams and managing cross-functional development

of complex hardware and software systems.

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities and requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in chemical metrology, industrial monitoring, or related domains.

• Experience in managing globally distributed teams and working in a multinational environment.

About Picarro

Picarro, Inc. is empowering the world with timely, trusted, and actionable data for environmental monitoring. Our

innovative technologies are at the forefront of detecting and managing emissions, ensuring safe and sustainable

operations, helping industries comply with regulatory standards and improve air quality. Our trace gas and stable

isotope analysis solutions are based on patented cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technology, and offer

unparalleled precision, ease of use, and reliability. Picarro solutions are used in a wide variety of scientific and

industrial applications including atmospheric science, air quality, greenhouse gas measurements, gas leak detection,

food safety, hydrology, ecology, and more. The company's products are designed and manufactured at its

headquarters in Santa Clara, California and exported to countries worldwide.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national

origin, protected veteran status, gender identity, social orientation, nor on the basis of disability.

Posted positions are not open to third party recruiters/agencies and unsolicited resume submissions will be

considered free referrals.