Exowatt is revolutionizing the energy landscape for the AI era with our groundbreaking P3 system that captures solar energy, stores it as heat, and generates electricity on demand. Founded in 2023 and backed by leading investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sam Altman, and Felicis, we're committed to providing clean, modular, and scalable power that meets the rapidly growing demands of AI infrastructure. Our mission is to make sustainable renewable energy always available and almost free, enabling technological advancement while protecting our planet.
We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer to join our optics team. The team owns the full design-to-commissioning lifecycle for our tracker hardware: precision optical elements and the structures that position them, solar tracking architectures, structural analysis under wind and gravity loading, and the instrumentation that turns prototypes into measured systems. The core problem is deceptively hard: hold optical precision on a large structure that moves all day, outdoors, under wind, gravity, and thermal swings, all at a cost that can scale to thousands of units.
At its core, this is a builder's role. Your main focus will be optomechanical assemblies: designing, fabricating, assembling, aligning, and testing the hardware that positions optical elements (lenses and mirrors, for example) on our trackers. The full loop is yours: idea to CAD to built hardware to test data, learning from what breaks and turning the next revision around in days, not months. You will spend most of your time hands-on in the shop, at the assembly bench, and on the test stand. The work spans structures, optics, precision assembly, sensors, and the code and AI agents that read them. This is an AI-native team: agents already drive our simulation campaigns and babysit our long-running tests, and we expect you to work at that level from day one. Everything around your hardware that is code, calculation, or documentation is something an agent should be running for you. Expect real ownership, a steep learning curve, and senior engineers who will review your work closely and push you to grow fast.
This position is based in Miami, FL. If selected, relocation to Miami, FL is required. Exowatt provides relocation assistance.
Key Responsibilities:
Design, build, and align optomechanical assemblies for the tracker platforms (optic mounts, frames, and alignment and adjustment features), owning them end to end: idea, CAD model, fabricated parts, assembled and working hardwareBuild hardware hands-on: assemble prototypes and test articles, fixture and align optics, work through fit-up issues at the bench, and turn what you learn into the next design revision fastSupport test stand build, instrumentation, and commissioning: sensor mounting, wiring, calibration, DAQ integration, first light, and commissioning runsTroubleshoot electromechanical systems hands-on: wiring harnesses, sensors, motor drivers, encoders, microcontrollers, and the code talking to them; multimeter, oscilloscope, and Python debugger in the same afternoon, root-causing failures and driving corrective actions back into the designWork AI-native: drive the scripting, analysis, and documentation around your hardware with AI coding agents, and help make the team's test and simulation infrastructure agent-ready so campaigns can run overnight without a human babysitting themBuild and revise CAD models in PTC Creo and SolidWorks; develop drawing packages with GD&T (ASME Y14.5) for fabrication, weldments, and assemblies, run tolerance stack-up analyses, and iterate against fabrication feedbackSupport structural analysis across tracker platforms: first-principles hand calculations, ANSYS FEA for detailed analysis, SAP2000 for code-checked wind-load combinations under ASCE 7-22Maintain subsystem-level BOMs and handle vendor follow-ups: slew drives, optical components, fasteners, sheet-metal fabricationDocument analysis, build progress, and decisions on the team wiki: methodology pages, test plans, weekly status, design memosPresent and defend your own work in design reviews, growing into ownership of larger subsystems over timeCollaborate with controls, software, and supply chain teams, and with external engineering partners and vendors
Qualifications:
BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline1+ years of hands-on build or design experience with real hardware; internships, co-ops, research labs, and major project-team roles countStrong fundamentals in math and physics: you reason from first principles, estimate before you compute, and check every result against known limits before you believe it; we probe this hard in interviewsWorking knowledge of a parametric CAD tool; the team uses PTC Creo and SolidWorksWorking understanding of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and tolerance stack-up analysisFamiliarity with common fabrication processes (machining, sheet metal, welding, 3D printing) and design-for-manufacturability and assembly (DFM/DFA) principlesAbility to back up simulation with first-principles hand calculations, and to run structured root-cause analysis when hardware misbehavesA track record of building real hardware: internships, capstone projects, FSAE, solar car teams, robotics, makerspaces, or independent builds all count; bench experience matters more than coursework gradesThe drive to own the full cycle yourself: take an idea to CAD, to built hardware, to test, learn from the mistakes, and iterate quickly rather than handing steps off to othersComfort with shop and bench work: hand tools, fixturing, assembly, and careful mechanical work on precision hardwareCoursework or hands-on project experience in solid mechanics, statics, dynamics, and finite element analysisComfort troubleshooting electromechanical systems hands-on: wiring harnesses, sensors, motor drivers, encoders, microcontrollers, and the firmware or software talking to themFluency with AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, or similar) as a daily engineering tool: you use them to write most of your code, and you own every line they produce, reviewed, tested, and understood; expect us to ask you to show how you work with AI the same way we ask about your bench skillsThe instinct to make work agentic: you can decompose a workflow into steps an agent can execute, with clean interfaces, verifiable checkpoints, and guardrails, and you have the judgment to catch an agent when it is confidently wrong; engineers who can direct several agents at once will outrun those who type everything themselves, and we hire the formerStrong written communication: you can document your work clearly enough that the next engineer can pick it up without asking youThe temperament to hold your ideas loosely: designs evolve weekly and priorities shift on real evidence; engineers who can let go and update move fastest
Preferred Qualifications:
Hands-on experience assembling or aligning optical or precision mechanical hardwareExperience with motion components and mechanisms: bearings, actuators, gear and slew drives, bolted and welded joint designExposure to design validation and reliability practices: DFMEA, DVP&R, or environmental qualification testingCoursework or research in optical systems, photonics, heat transfer, or solar energyHands-on experience with ANSYS, SAP2000, or another FEA package beyond classroom problem setsPython or MATLAB scripting: kinematics, data reduction, plottingExperience building agentic systems around real hardware or simulation: agents driving instruments, CAD, or simulation models through tool interfaces (MCP or similar), running parameter sweeps overnight, and summarizing the results; or any project where you gave an AI real levers and made its output trustworthyLab or test-stand experience involving DAQ, instrumentation, or calibrationFamiliarity with controls fundamentals: open-loop versus closed-loop, sensor fusion conceptsInterest in solar energy, heliostats, or large-scale renewable infrastructure
Additional Requirements:
Willingness to work extended hours and occasional weekends when builds, test campaigns, or program deadlines demand itAbility to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted, and to work safely with shop tools, ladders, and lifts with appropriate PPEAbility to work outdoors in Miami heat during assembly and field testingOccasional travel to fabricators, vendors, and field sites
What We Offer:
Competitive salary and equity options.
Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and retirement plans.
A dynamic work environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
Opportunities for professional growth and development in a rapidly evolving industry.
Relocation assistance.
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