Mechanical Engineer - R&D

Mechanical Engineer – Advanced R\&D (Optical Systems)

I’m working with a growing optical technology company developing a genuinely novel adaptive lens platform, with applications across AR/VR, machine vision, and medical devices.

They are looking to hire a Mechanical Engineer into their R\&D team — someone who is motivated by complex, first-principles engineering problems and enjoys working on precision systems where performance is highly sensitive to design decisions.

The Role

This is a hands-on R\&D position working across the full product development lifecycle — from

early-stage concept through to prototyping, validation, and progression towards manufacture.

You’ll be working in a multidisciplinary team alongside physicists, optical engineers, and materials specialists, developing systems where mechanical, optical, and material behaviours are tightly coupled.

The work is inherently analytical. You will be expected to model, predict, and understand system behaviour — not just design components.

Key aspects of the role include

:

• Design of precision mechanisms and assemblies for advanced optical systems
• Performing detailed tolerance analysis and developing robust design strategies
• Applying FEA and analytical methods to understand stress, deformation, and system performance
• Using hand calculations alongside simulation to validate design decisions
• Prototyping, testing, and iterative development based on measured data
• Close collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams
• Contribution to design for manufacture in the context of high-precision, small-scale systems

What They’re Looking For

This role will suit someone who is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and motivated by technically challenging development work.

You are likely to have:

• A strong academic background in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline (typically MSc, PhD, or equivalent level of understanding)
• Experience developing precision products or systems, ideally involving small-scale or high-tolerance mechanisms
• Strong capability in FEA and engineering analysis, with an understanding of underlying assumptions, limitations, and validation methods
• Experience using both simulation and first-principles calculations to inform design decisions
• A track record of working across the full development lifecycle — from concept through to validated hardware
• A solid grounding in engineering fundamentals, including:
• GD\&T and tolerance analysis
• Materials selection and behaviour
• Mechanism design
• The ability to work effectively in environments where problems are not fully defined

This Role May Not Be a Fit If

• Your experience with FEA is limited to running predefined simulations without understanding underlying physics or assumptions
• Your background is primarily in large-scale, low-precision, or highly standardised products
• You have focused mainly on production, maintenance, or incremental design changes
• You prefer well-defined problems over open-ended R\&D challenges

Desirable Experience

• Opto-mechanical systems or working with optical constraints
• Micro-mechanisms or small-scale actuation systems
• Experience within regulated environments (e.g. medical devices)
• Early-stage concept development and rapid iteration

The Environment

The team is small, technically strong, and focused on thoughtful engineering rather than volume output.

It’s a collaborative R\&D environment where engineers are given the space to explore, iterate, and solve genuinely complex problems.

If this aligns with your background and interests, I’d be happy to discuss the role in more detail.