Manufacturing Engineer - Optics

Manufacturing Engineer - Optics Airborne Imaging Systems Burlington ON

Please note that to be considered for any position at PV Labs, all candidates must be eligible to meet the requirements of the Canadian Controlled-Goods Program of the Defense Production Act, and be able to hold and maintain a Canadian Security Clearance. If you are not clear about your eligibility, please consult the Government of Canada website.

At PVLabs, manufacturing engineering is not an afterthought—it is the connective tissue between invention and impact. Our systems don t come to life through design alone; they become real when they can be built, tested, repeated, and trusted under the constraints of the real world. This role sits at the moment where the theory of a product meets the jobs it must actually perform.

It s where prototypes evolve into operationally credible systems that must perform in tough conditions.

We are seeking a Manufacturing Engineer with the mindset of a systems thinker and the instincts of a builder—someone who sees how mechanical, electrical, optical, and software elements converge into a manufacturable, serviceable, field-credible product. This role demands fluency in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) across complex opto-mechanical architectures and the ability to work within a highly regulated Defense and Controlled Goods environment

This is not a traditional ME role confined to process documentation. It is a craft role, a connective-tissue role, a role that shapes how optics concepts become stabilized, repeatable production realities. You will work at the seams—where decisions matter, where early constraints avoid downstream risks, and where learning cycles shorten the distance between prototype and production.

The effectiveness of this role and its focus will tie to our current-state and our future-state as our next-generation product designs mature and we move forward towards product build schedules that are rapidly approaching.

Starting now:

You will assist withmapping the optical manufacturing environment that our next-generation systems require—requirements and specifications,capacity modelling, equipment definition, optical alignment stations, assembly requirements, and 3P analysis that aligns our space to our purpose. You will also help codify our processes for partners across the globe, ensuring that PVLabs standards for precision, alignment, and optical performance can be replicated reliably.

At 6 months and onward:

You will support both prototype and production builds, validate processes, train technicians, and help transfer manufacturing knowledge into customer programs. Your role becomes the steward of manufacturability—ensuring our products survive contact with the real world and that our manufacturing ecosystem supports speed, quality, and resilience.

• Responsible for the selection, installation, qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), test method validation, and sustaining support of tooling and equipment utilized in Manufacturing.
• Support new product manufacturability by conducting research, feasibility testing, and process validation.
• Support engineering prototype builds within the product development process.
• Develop, document, and optimize assembly and alignment processes for precision optical subassemblies, including lenses, optical benches, image sensors, and stabilized optical payload interfaces.
• Define handling, cleaning, ESD, and contamination-control procedures for sensitive optical components in accordance with industry standards.
• Establish optical test and validation workflows, including interferometry, MTF testing, boresight verification, focus/zoom calibration, and line-of-sight stability measurements.
• Work closely with Optical Engineering to translate optical design intent into manufacturable assembly steps, tolerances, and inspection checkpoints.
• Define requirements for optical alignment fixtures, collimators, laser alignment tools, optical benches, and clean-area workstations.
• Develop process flows that integrate optical alignment with mechanical build stages to ensure stability through environmental testing (thermal, vibe,…