{"id":1557836,"url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-opto-mechanical-engineer","title":"Opto-mechanical Engineer","company":{"id":173518,"name":"Foundational","domain":"foundational.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/foundational","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":43000,"max_usd":102000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":306},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"SolidWorks","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T19:34:16Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-30","last_verified_at":"2026-10-02T00:43:29Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":1,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":1},"description":"Opto-mechanical Engineer\nThis is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.\nAbout us\nFoundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.\nWe design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.\nOur station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.\nWe're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.\nPosition Overview\nLondon · Full time · On-site\nYou'll design the structures that hold our optics still and aligned while stations run unattended in remote, harsh environments.\nWhat you'll do\nDesign mounts, benches and enclosures for telescope-mounted and bench optics\n\nOwn alignment concepts, and the fixtures and procedures used to set alignment\n\nRun thermal and structural analysis on optical assemblies, and feed the results into tolerances\n\nDesign for manufacture, assembly and field servicing\n\nWork with the workshop and suppliers from drawing to finished part\n\nWhat you'll bring\nExperience in opto-mechanical design\n\nCAD skills (SolidWorks, Onshape or similar), plus GD&T and drawing standards\n\nThermal and structural FEA experience\n\nHands-on build and alignment experience\n\nNice to have\nTelescope or observatory hardware\n\nEnvironmental testing\n\nOutdoor enclosures and weather sealing\n\nSpace or defence programmes\n\nWhat We Offer\nA high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company\n\nEMI share options (UK employees)\n\n25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays\n\nEnhanced Parental Leave\n\nCycle to work schemes\n\nWork alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics\n\nOffices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials\n\nWe actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.","description_format":"text","description_chars":2634,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Parental leave","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Data Governance & Catalogs","Data Quality & Observability"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T02:49:55Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":36,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-01T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-opto-mechanical-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-opto-mechanical-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-02T03:24:25Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":4690,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":310,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-03T00:00:00Z"}}}