Principal Opto-Mechanical Engineer - Ingénieur Principal en Conception Opto-Mécanique

Principal Opto-Mechanical Engineer | New Space | Toulouse, France

Are you passionate about precision engineering and excited by the opportunity to help shape the next generation of space technology?

I'm working exclusively with an ambitious New Space company that is developing cutting‑edge optical payloads and advanced satellite systems. As they continue to scale, they're looking for an experienced Principal Opto-Mechanical Engineer to play a pivotal role in taking innovative optical systems from concept through to flight.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a highly collaborative engineering team where you'll influence technical decisions, work across multiple disciplines, and see your designs become flight hardware.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the design and development of high‑precision opto‑mechanical assemblies for space applications.
• Design using CAD and perform structural and thermo‑mechanical analysis using FEM tools.
• Develop mechanisms supporting active and passive optical alignment.
• Own hardware throughout the full development lifecycle, from engineering models through to qualified flight hardware.
• Work closely with manufacturing teams and precision machining suppliers to optimise designs for production.
• Support assembly, integration and testing, including hands‑on work within cleanroom environments.
• Collaborate with optics, systems, electronics, thermal, manufacturing and AIT teams to deliver high‑performance space hardware.
• Represent the mechanical discipline during technical reviews and key programme milestones.

What we're looking for

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience designing precision mechanical or opto‑mechanical systems.
• Strong CAD experience (CATIA, SolidWorks or similar).
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis (FEM).
• Knowledge of precision manufacturing and CNC machining processes.
• Comfortable working across the complete product lifecycle in a multidisciplinary engineering environment.

If you're interested in learning more, or know someone who could be a great fit, feel free to send me a confidential message.