Makes independent design decisions within project scope (component selection, materials, mechanical tolerances); escalates cost, schedule, or specification changes to R&D Manager
Role Purpose
Short description of why this role exists (3-4 sentences)
ProPhotonix designs and manufactures LED illuminators and line-light products for the machine vision market, with approximately 70% of business in custom and OEM solutions. This role exists to lead the mechanical and product design of LED light engines — including associated manufacturing and assembly fixtures — from concept through to manufacture, ensuring designs meet thermal, electrical, and manufacturability requirements, and integrate correctly with the optical design. The Mechanical Design Engineer works closely with electronics and optical engineering, the Project Manager, production, and procurement to bring new and custom LED illumination products to market.
Responsibilities
Main tasks (5-8 bullet points)
Acts as the senior mechanical-design subject-matter expert for assigned projects, providing technical direction on design trade-offs, materials, tolerancing, thermal management, and manufacturability.
Leads mechanical design reviews and contributes to risk assessments, design verification, and design-transfer activities.
Identifies design, quality, cost, supply, and manufacturability risks early and recommends practical mitigation actions.
Contribute to broader product design activities across the light engine and illuminator range, from initial concept through to production release
Produce and maintain 3D CAD models, assembly drawings, and manufacturing documentation
Support thermal management design of LED assemblies, including heat sink design, thermal interface materials, airflow considerations and water cooling solutions
Lead or support DFM/DFA reviews with production and procurement to ensure designs are manufacturable and cost-effective
Select materials and finishes appropriate for thermal and mechanical performance, including corrosion and galvanic compatibility considerations
Support prototyping, testing, and validation of new designs, including environmental and reliability testing
Provides mechanical-design input and supporting technical documentation for product compliance activities, including CE, RoHS, IEC 62471 and EMC requirements, working with Quality/Compliance and the relevant technical functions.
Scope of Role
Area of Responsibility (e.g. region, business unit)
Prophotonix Cork, R&D Department
Impact (operational / strategic)
Operational: directly affects product performance, reliability, and manufacturability. Strategic: supports custom/OEM design wins that represent the majority of company revenue
Budget Responsibility (if applicable)
N/A
Key Internal Interfaces
Project Manager (day-to-day project interface for design timelines, milestones, and deliverables), Optical Engineer, Electronics Engineering, Production, Procurement, Quality/Compliance, Operations
Key External Interfaces
Component and material suppliers, contract manufacturers, test/certification bodies
Requirements – Technical / Professional
Education / Experience
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related discipline required; Master's degree preferred
10+ years Proven industry experience in mechanical/design engineering, ideally within electronics, optics, photonics, or precision manufacturing
Technical Skills
Strong 3D CAD skills (SolidWorks essential), including tolerancing and drawing standards (GD&T)
Practical understanding of manufacturing processes (machining, die casting, sheet metal, injection molding, aluminum extrusion design) and DFM principles
Experience designing fixtures, jigs, and tooling for assembly, test, or production processes
Ability to design for thermal performance in electronics/LED assemblies
Desirable: experience with thermal modelling/simulation tools (e.g. SolidWorks Thermal, or similar)
Desirable: working knowledge of electronics (PCB layout awareness, basic circuit understanding, component packaging constraints)
Desirable: Awareness of optical design or optomechanical assemblies (lenses, reflectors, beam-shaping optics)
Desirable: familiarity with LED technology and photonics
