--- title: 'Manufacturing Engineer at Mesh Optical Technologies' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-mesh-optical-technologies-gardena-djga1pe0xaxy' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-09' --- # Manufacturing Engineer at Mesh Optical Technologies - **Company:** Mesh Optical Technologies - **Location:** Gardena, CA - **Posted:** 2026-02-16 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/meshopticaltechnologies/jobs/4134450009 ## Job description ## MANUFACTURING ENGINEER Mesh Optical Technologies was founded on the belief that optical photons will be at the center of advanced technologies in the coming century. Making advanced technology ubiquitous means building at scale, and that’s exactly what we’re doing at Mesh. Our factory integrates precision electro-mechanical assemblies, automation systems, and production data infrastructure. We are seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to design, build, and scale the physical systems that make this possible. This is an early-career, hands-on engineering role. You will work alongside senior engineers to design and implement production cells, develop assembly workflows, and support product-to-manufacturing integration. While prior factory experience is not required, strong first-principles engineering skills and comfort designing and debugging real hardware systems are essential. ## RESPONSIBILITIES: - Support the design and implementation of automated production cells, fixtures, and tooling for precision optical and electro-mechanical assembly - Create and modify CAD models for tooling, fixtures, mechanical interfaces, and production equipment - Assist with product-to-manufacturing handoff during new product introduction (NPI), including process development, build planning, and first-article execution - Develop, document, and maintain assembly processes, work instructions, and validation procedures to support repeatable high-volume production - Build, test, and debug production equipment and prototype hardware on the factory floor - Analyze yield, process, and metrology data to support root-cause investigations and drive continuous improvement - Partner with mechanical, electrical, optical, and automation engineering teams to identify manufacturability improvements and feed lessons learned back into product design - Support the development and qualification of production test and inspection methods, including in-line metrology and end-of-line validation ## QUALIFICATIONS: - Bachelor's or Master's degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, electrical engineering, or a related discipline - Strong first-principles foundation in mechanics of materials, heat transfer, or controls - Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent) - Hands-on hardware experience through academic projects, research labs, internships, or co-ops, including building, debugging, or testing mechanical or electro-mechanical systems - Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills - Comfort working with tools, lab equipment, and prototype hardware in a factory or lab environment - Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed ## PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: - Internship, co-op, or early-career experience in hardware, robotics, automation, or manufacturing environments - Experience designing tooling, fixtures, or jigs for assembly or test applications - Exposure to scripting or data analysis tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or equivalent) for process data analysis or automation - Experience working with precision assemblies, robotic systems, or automated pick-and-place equipment - Familiarity with manufacturing process development methodologies (e.g., PFMEA, process capability studies, SPC) - Exposure to GD&T and tolerance analysis as applied to fixture and tooling design - Experience with or interest in production data systems, MES, or manufacturing traceability infrastructure - Familiarity with cleanroom or controlled-environment manufacturing practices ## COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: Pay range: Manufacturing Engineer: $120,000.00 - $150,000.00/per year Title and base salary are determined on a case by case basis commensurate with experience and merit. In addition to base salary, compensation for this role includes: - Eligibility for long-term incentives including company stock options and discretionary bonuses awarded for exceptional achievements. - Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance with significant cost covered by the company for yourself and dependents. - Paid parental leave and flexible PTO (3 weeks accrued vacation and 10 company holidays per year). - 401(k) retirement plan access. - Relocation assistance to sunny Los Angeles. ## About Mesh Optical Technologies ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Mesh Optical Technologies designs and manufactures advanced optical systems at scale, targeting hyperscale computing and AI infrastructure. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A - $50M led by Thrive Capital, as of February 2026) - **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, United States - **Founded**: Not publicly available - **Founders**: Travis Brashears (Co-Founder & CEO), Cameron Ramos (Co-Founder & President) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Computer Hardware Manufacturing / Advanced Optics / Photonics - **Target customers**: B2B – hyperscale data centers, AI compute clusters, and space-based optical communications - **Mission or purpose**: "Advance the state of the art in optical manufacturing, closing a critical supply chain gap in hyperscale computing, and building the next generation of optical hardware on Earth and in space." ## Products & Services - **Alpha C1 optical transceiver**: A 1.6 Terabits per second optical transceiver that linearly translates electrical signals to light. Designed for AI workloads and power-constrained data centers, it delivers better power efficiency, lower latency, and higher reliability. Its optical engine is manufactured entirely with flip chip die bonding – the same technology used to package chips in modern processors – enabling high-volume production. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding of $50M (Series A, February 2026) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Thrive Capital (lead), plus two other major investors (names not specified) - **Growth Signals**: 11 employees with 29 open job postings; 20% monthly headcount growth; team includes alumni from SpaceX, Intel, Apple, Helion, and other advanced manufacturing environments ## Competitive Advantages - **Integrated design & manufacturing**: Unlike most photonics companies that treat manufacturing as a downstream exercise, Mesh designs and builds its own factories, closing the feedback loop between device physics, packaging, yield, and automation. - **Flip chip die bonding**: The Alpha C1 uses a proven, high-volume chip-packaging technique, allowing rapid scaling to millions of units per year – a major departure from the manual, low-volume assembly typical of US optical manufacturing. ## Strategic Focus - Scale production of the Alpha C1 transceiver to meet demand from AI clusters. - Develop new high-volume optical manufacturing techniques for terrestrial and in-space infrastructure (laser links, deep space probes). - Continue to hire across engineering, operations, and manufacturing to expand its Los Angeles-based factory and R&D capabilities. ## Why Work Here - **Engineering culture**: "Build your own factory" – the team believes in engineering to the limit of physics and writing software that maximizes hardware capability. - **Impact**: Opportunity to close a critical supply chain gap in US optical manufacturing and shape the next generation of computing infrastructure. - **Work environment**: On-site in Los Angeles (two offices in the area); highly technical team with deep expertise from SpaceX, Intel, Apple, and other hardware leaders. - **Growth**: Rapidly scaling startup with 29 open roles across electrical, mechanical, process, and manufacturing engineering, as well as operations and recruiting. ## Sources 1. [meshoptical.com](https://www.meshoptical.com/) 2. [meshoptical.com/blog](https://www.meshoptical.com/blog/introducing-mesh) 3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/meshoptical) 4. [meshoptical.com/process](https://www.meshoptical.com/process) 5. 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