Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer

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About OLIX: AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. OLIX is building this next paradigm; the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) achieves performance and energy efficiency that is impossible to match from existing chips.

Role: We build hardware where light does the heavy lifting. Our optical interconnect assemblies operate at the edge of what precision manufacturing can hold - and we need an engineer who knows how to design for that reality. You'll own the mechanical architecture of photonic subassemblies: waveguide coupling structures, precision ferrule systems, laser source packaging, and the thermal-mechanical interfaces that keep everything aligned from assembly through field life. You'll live in tolerance stacks, CTE budgets, and first-article reviews. When yield drops, you'll know where to look. This is a hands-on role that spans CAD to cleanroom, drawing release to supplier corrective action, FEA to thermal cycling failure analysis. You'll work directly with optical, process, and reliability engineers - and you'll be expected to hold the full causal chain between a mechanical decision and an optical outcome.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop opto-mechanical assemblies including waveguide coupling structures, photonic interposers, ferrule/connector systems, and precision alignment fixtures.
• Perform tolerance chain analysis (RSS and worst-case) for optical alignment budgets, accounting for thermal excursion, assembly variation, and long-term drift.
• Select and qualify optical-grade materials (Invar/Kovar, borosilicate glass, low-CTE adhesives) with consideration for CTE compatibility, outgassing, and process compatibility.
• Lead thermal-mechanical co-design of photonic subassemblies, including heatsink design for ASICs and high-power laser sources.
• Drive DFM/DFA for precision optical assemblies including MIM components, laser-machined features, and bonded/co-cured structures.

Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer a £24k annual Living‑Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.