Mechanical Designer - Airborne

ABOUT MATTER INTELLIGENCE Welcome to Matter, where we are building the future of vision AI: pairing a world-first sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model that will be the most powerful intelligence engine for the physical world. This system doesn't just see what something looks like; it understands everything from a single pixel. We call this Superintelligent Vision. Our team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL, designed advanced sensors for U.S. Defense, and frontier artificial intelligence systems. We are now building the next generation of space- and airborne-based sensing systems. ABOUT THE ROLE Matter is hiring a Mechanical Designer focused on airborne payload hardware. This role will turn engineering concepts into detailed, manufacturable designs and support hardware from early packaging through fabrication, assembly, integration, and flight testing. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Create and maintain detailed 3D CAD mechanical designs, assemblies, drawings, and bills of material for airborne optomechanical and optoelectrical payload hardware, including lens housings, fixtures, mounts, and alignment mechanisms. - Translate system, optical, electrical, thermal, and structural constraints into practical packaging solutions. Perform tolerance and basic thermal and structural analyses, select materials, and ensure mechanical designs meet performance and reliability requirements. - Work with optical engineers to translate system-level optical requirements into mechanical designs, then collaborate with manufacturing, supply chain, and suppliers to optimize designs for manufacturability and cost. - Support prototype builds, fit checks, integration, metrology, test-fixture development, and hardware troubleshooting. - Maintain configuration discipline and incorporate lessons from fabrication, test, and flight operations into design updates. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED - Typically requires a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and at least five years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree in a related field and at least three years of experience. - Strong proficiency with NX or an equivalent CAD tool and a deep understanding of precision mechanical design, ASME Y14.5-2018 GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, materials, and manufacturing processes. - Experience designing optical-system components such as lenses, lasers, sensors, and imaging assemblies; ability to collaborate with optical, electrical, structural, thermal, and systems engineers; and ability to communicate technical results to internal and external technical and nontechnical audiences. - Hands-on experience with prototyping, metrology, testing, and verification of optomechanical assemblies for harsh environments, including thermal management, material selection, adhesives, and mounting techniques. PREFERRED - Experience with airborne, spaceborne, aerospace, precision-instrument, robotics, or other ruggedized and mass- and volume-constrained hardware, including work in regulated aerospace or defense environments. - Experience packaging optical and electronic components with tight alignment or environmental requirements; familiarity with cleanroom practices and optical assembly techniques. - Familiarity with rapid prototyping and low-volume production environments, hand and light power tools, and finite-element analysis for modal, shock, and random-vibration loads; Ansys Workbench experience is a plus. WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE - Designs are complete, manufacturable, and released on time with clear configuration control. - Hardware assembles and integrates as intended with minimal avoidable rework. - Design updates incorporate evidence from build, test, and flight operations quickly and accurately. LOCATION This role is based in El Segundo, CA, and requires onsite work. ITAR REQUIREMENTS To comply with U.S. export regulations, applicants must be one of the following: - A U.S. citizen or national - A lawful permanent resident (green card holder) - Eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State EMPLOYEE OFFERINGS AND BENEFITS At Matter, we believe in rewarding high performance and providing the support you need to thrive. Our compensation and benefits package includes: - Competitive compensation based on experience - Early-stage equity package - 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage - Opportunity to work on novel sensing, data, and AI systems with real-world deployment paths to the largest industries in the world Matter Intelligence is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who can raise the ambition and performance of the team.