Optomechanical Engineer

Staff Optomechanical Engineer, L3 Subsystem Delivery

Location:

Palo Alto, CA (hybrid) with travel requirements

About xLight

xLight is building the world's most powerful laser to revolutionize semiconductor lithography, metrology, and for other critical applications. Our approach harnesses the power of free-electron lasers, building on accelerator technology in use globally at scientific user facilities. Extending this technology, we are developing industrial-grade light sources, engineered for continuous operation, to meet the sophisticated demands of next-generation patterning, metrology, and inspection applications.

Join us in this new revolution.

At xLight, we hire exceptional talent — and exceptional means more than a strong résumé. How we achieve results is just as important as the results themselves, which is why attitude and character matter as much as technical skill. We believe great talent is widely distributed, not confined to a particular school or background. We seek individuals who demonstrate ownership, a spirit of collaboration, technical curiosity, and a genuine willingness to learn and grow — guided by our core values of Respect, Integrity, Creativity, and Engineering Excellence.

We don't just hire for what someone can do today. We hire for who they are and who they are becoming.

What We Need — and Why It Matters

We are seeking an experienced optomechanical engineer to serve as a L3 Systems Lead — owning technical and delivery accountability for your subsystems while owning the engineering and validation work needed to prove they perform — doing it directly or allocating it across our engineering team and suppliers. You will drive the full lifecycle delivery of several subsystems for xLight's EUV and X-ray beam delivery networks including optics, diagnostics, sensors, vacuum, structural, and controls systems.

Photon Technology develops the fundamental subsystem architectures; in this role you will pull from those architectures — managing suppliers, owning cost and schedule, and directing (or performing) the final design, manufacture, and commissioning needed to deliver.

This is a rare opportunity to shape both the technical direction and delivery execution of a program building the next generation of accelerator technology — reviving Moore's Law and transforming semiconductor manufacturing.

What You Will Do

Subsystem Delivery & Technical Leadership

• Serve as the L3 Systems Lead for assigned Photon subsystems, owning technical scope, cost, schedule, and delivery from design through commissioning.
• Manage the full supplier lifecycle, including vendor selection, contract execution, fabrication oversight, acceptance testing, and delivery.
• Define and manage interfaces with adjacent systems, driving cross-functional integration and resolving technical issues.
• Track project status, risks, budgets, and schedules, providing updates and recovery plans as needed.
• Lead and mentor matrixed teams of engineers and technicians, providing technical direction and coordinating execution.
• Chair design reviews and drive technical decisions to closure.
• Lead the design and development of precision optomechanical systems, including mirrors, gratings, vacuum chambers, cooling systems, motion systems, and supporting hardware.
• Perform engineering analyses, including first-principles of calculations, tolerance analyses, and validation through FEA/CFD as needed.
• Develop and execute verification plans to ensure designs meet performance, reliability, and safety requirements.
• Maintain design documentation, drawings, BOMs, and engineering change records.
• Plan and oversee subsystem installation, commissioning, and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), ensuring safe and successful execution.
• Troubleshoot technical issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Capture lessons learned and drive continuous improvements for future deployments.

What We Are Looking For

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field
• 10+ years of professional experience in optomechanical design and engineering, or comparable experience
• Demonstrated ownership of supplier management, cost, and schedule on a complex hardware…