Senior Optomechanical Systems Engineer
Digantara
Digantara is a leading Space Surveillance and Intelligence company focused on ensuring orbital safety and sustainability. With expertise in space-based detection, tracking, identification, and monitoring, Digantara provides comprehensive domain awareness across regimes, allowing end users to have actionable intelligence on a single platform. At the core of its infrastructure lies a sophisticated integration of hardware and software capabilities aligned with the key principles of situational awareness: perception (data collection), comprehension (data processing), and prediction (analytics). This holistic approach empowers Digantara to monitor all Resident Space Objects (RSOs) in orbit, fostering comprehensive domain awareness.
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Optomechanical Engineer with 8–10 years of experience in the design, analysis, integration, and validation of space-based optical payloads and ground-based optical systems. The candidate will be responsible for the complete optomechanical development lifecycle, from concept through qualification and assembly, ensuring compliance with performance, environmental, and launch requirements.
Why Us?
Competitive incentives, galvanizing workspace, blazing team, frequent outings—pretty much everything you have heard about a startup + you get to work on space technology.
-
Hustle in a well-funded startup allowing you to take charge of your responsibilities and create your moonshot.
Ideal Candidate:
Has 5+ years of experience in design of precision optomechanical systems for space (or ground).
Has led the end-to-end optomechanical design, development, qualification, and delivery of spaceflight optical hardware, from concept through integration and environmental testing.
Can interpret and allocate system-level optomechanical (optical) error budgets and independently perform and guide tolerance, sensitivity, and thermo-elastic stability analyses to ensure mission compliance.
Is highly proficient in designing precision optical mounts and structures for launch and space environments, including flexure systems, mirror mounts, optical benches, and focal plane assemblies.
Has successfully delivered multiple full lifecycle optomechanical subsystems, including participation in design reviews (PDR/CDR), environmental qualification, and flight hardware realization.
-
Is capable of providing technical leadership, mentoring junior engineers and driving cross-disciplinary design decisions.
Responsibilities
Lead the design and development of optomechanical systems for space-based telescopes and high-precision optical payloads, ensuring compliance with optical performance, structural integrity, and thermal stability requirements.
Own the complete optomechanical design lifecycle, including concept development, trade studies, detailed design, analysis, fabrication support, integration, qualification and flight delivery.
Collaborate closely with optical, structural, thermal, systems, and AIT teams to translate optical performance requirements into mechanical designs that maintain alignment and stability across various loading conditions.
Perform and lead sensitivity, tolerance, FE and STOP analyses.
Develop detailed 3D CAD models, manufacturing drawings and release documentation, ensuring compliance with GD&T standards and precision manufacturing requirements.
Define and develop alignment procedures, assembly workflows and verification methodologies to ensure optical performance compliance.
Manage and interface with vendors and fabrication partners, including supplier selection, technical oversight, manufacturing reviews and quality verification.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or Ph. D in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related discipline.
6+ years of experience in optomechanical design and development of high-precision optical systems, with significant experience in spaceflight hardware or space telescope systems.
Proven experience delivering flight-quality optomechanical hardware.
Extensive experience in the development of ground based telescope optomechanical design will be considered.
-
Strong expertise in:
Precision optomechanical design principles
Structural and thermal stability design
Optical alignment and integration
-
Strong understanding of:
Thermo-elastic effects on optical systems
Space environmental requirements
Launch load design considerations
Tolerance and sensitivity analysis
Excellent technical communication, documentation, and design review skills.
Preferred Skills
Strong knowledge of:
Precision machining and manufacturing methods
Metrology and optical alignment techniques
Supplier qualification and technical vendor management
Demonstrated ability to lead subsystems and take full ownership of hardware delivery.
General Requirements
Ability to work in a quality-focused, fast paced operational environment.
Ability to think critically and make independent decisions.
Interpersonal skills to enable working in a diverse and dynamic team.
Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
Writing and delivering technical documents and briefings.
Verbal and written communications skills as well as organizational skills.
Travel occasionally as necessary.
Location: Hebbal, Bangalore
