Clera
From company careers site
Senior Mechanical Engineer
- Location
- Detroit
- Work mode
- On-site
- Employment type
- Full-time
About the job
ABOUT THE ROLE
Own major mechanical subsystems for ruggedized, field-deployable directed-energy systems, from architecture through production handoff. You will work on a lean engineering team to help ensure high-performance equipment operates reliably in demanding field conditions.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Design and validate mechanical subsystems, including laser source enclosures, gimbal and beam director structures, and precision mounts.
- Perform static, modal, random vibration, and shock response spectrum FEA, then correlate results with bench and field testing.
- Develop thermal management solutions for high-power laser and electronics packaging across thermal cycles.
- Build, instrument, and operate test rigs to characterize systems ahead of field deployment.
- Design to MIL-STD-810 shock and vibration requirements and other austere-environment standards.
- Take designs from concept through prototyping, bench validation, field testing, and manufacturing handoff.
- Lead design reviews, collaborate with senior engineers, mentor junior team members, and travel to field test events.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- At least 5 years of mechanical engineering experience with ruggedized, field-deployable, or high-performance systems, including taking a subsystem from prototype to production.
- Strong hands-on FEA experience with ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent, including test validation and correlation.
- Experience designing to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards, and with precision optomechanical packaging.
- Thermal management experience on high-power systems, plus experience building and running bench test rigs and instrumentation.
- Experience with design for manufacturability and production handoff.
- BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- Background in lasers, directed energy, ruggedized optical benches, or vehicle-mounted systems is a plus.
- U.S. citizenship is required.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Base salary: $165,000 to $210,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
LOCATION
On-site in Detroit, Michigan, with travel for field tests and range validation.
From Clera's careers page (Ashby), checked 1 Nov 2026.
How to apply
- Select Apply on getclera.com. It opens Clera's own application form in a new tab, run on Ashby.
- Fill in the form and upload your résumé there. Jobiwork never sees your application.
- Clera will reply to you directly. No real employer asks you for money to apply.
Posted 30 Oct 2026 · checked 1 Nov 2026 · Report this job