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Our Story

Providing the world’s most versatile deformable mirrors, optical modulators and retinal imaging systems using advanced adaptive optics

We know what it feels like when you’re having trouble on a project and not able to move your research forward.

If you’re like us, you’re hungry for science. It’s thrilling when you make a new discovery. Let us help you choose the best solution in adaptive optics for your application so that wavefront aberrations don’t get in the way of your discoveries.

At Boston Micromachines, we get it.

The objects you’re looking at are either too small or too far away. If you’re working with lasers, you need better wavefront shaping. We’ve helped top research institutions like NASA, UC Berkeley, Lockheed Martin and Boston University overcome their adaptive optics challenges and experience project success.

What is our Mission?

We enable our customers to achieve their scientific, research, or technical goals through the use of wavefront control technology.

We are committed to helping you succeed so you can stop feeling stressed or confused about the many options.

The process is simple — Reach out, team up, and shape your light.

Reach out through email or just pick up the phone and call us.
Team up by working together closely to find or create the best solution for your project.
Finally, we’ll make sure you can shape your light in a way that achieves your goals and pushes your results to the next level.

Once you reach out to us, you’ll have taken the first step towards finding a solution. We partner with you every step of the way and our job is not done until your project is a success.

Our Executive Team

Paul Bierden

President & CEO

Paul has led pioneering research efforts in optical MEMS fabrication, system integration, and compact AO while overseeing multiple R&D contracts resulting in over $5M in research funding. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and has spent over 20 years working with small businesses.

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Thomas Bifano

Chief Technical Advisor

Tom is a Boston University professor with a joint appointment in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. He currently serves as the BU Photonics Center Director, where his team’s research focuses on developing useful devices with the aid of novel precision-manufacturing technologies.

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Steven Cornelissen

Chief Technology Officer

Steven has been involved in optical MEMS R&D since 2000 and joined Boston Micromachines Corporation in 2002 where his research and product development efforts have led to commercial MEMS deformable mirror products that are enabling advances in imaging systems and optical communication systems using adaptive and active optics. He has successfully led multiple Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) government contract awards for development of MEMS deformable mirrors and spatial light modulators. Steven is a graduate of San Jose State University (BSME) and Boston University (MSME.) Prior to joining Boston Micromachines Corporation Steven was a research and development engineer at Space System/Loral.

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Joe Caruso

Director

For the last 20 years Joe has served as mentor, coach, and personal advisor to CEOs and entrepreneurs. In recent years, he has served as investor, advisor and active director with dozens of companies, public and private. Joe is currently a member of Launchpad Venture Group and was previously a member of Walnut Ventures, Common Angels, eCoast Angels and a principal of Brookwood Partners, all investment groups for early stage companies. He also maintains an active consulting practice dealing with structuring and negotiation of acquisitions, strategic partnerships and financings, and issues related to dispute resolution. He has served on dozens of boards over the years and is recipient of the Leadership in Private Corporate Governance award from the National Association of Corporate Directors, New England Chapter. He is a graduate of Northeastern University (BSEE with honors) and the Harvard Business School (MBA). He has served as advisor to Northeastern’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship, and serves as a mentor for Boston University’s entrepreneurship program, the Boston TechStars program, and Mass Challenge.

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We Are Hiring

Do you have what it takes to develop breakthrough optical technology?

If you want to be on the forefront of these modern designs to improve imaging in astronomy, microscopy, defense, and healthcare, please check back regularly and view our job listings to see where you can fit into our dynamic team of highly motivated researchers dedicated to advancing photonics applications.

Mechanical Product Engineer

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Job Description

Overview:

We are seeking a talented and detail-oriented Mechanical Product Engineer to join our optical MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) engineering and production team. This role is responsible for the mechanical design and documentation of device packaging, production tooling, and product interfaces. The ideal candidate will play a key role in enabling the successful manufacturing and deployment of our advanced optical MEMS devices by creating robust mechanical solutions and supporting cross-functional teams through all phases of product development and production.

Responsibilities:

· Design and develop mechanical packaging solutions for optical MEMS devices, including enclosures, mounts, and ceramic chip carriers

· Create production tooling and fixturing to support efficient, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing processes.

· Design housings and mechanical interfaces for optical devices, electronic components, PCBs, and cable assemblies.

· Lead the enhancement and implementation of aesthetic design for core products, including packaged devices and drivers

· Understand the full product architecture performance requirements – including optical MEMS devices, electronics, and cabling—and provide engineering support across the integrated system.

· Generate and maintain clear, accurate, and user-friendly system documentation, including assembly procedures, mechanical drawings, and user manuals.

· Collaborate with the production team to improve manufacturability and ensure mechanical designs meet reliability, cost, and performance targets.

· Interface with vendors for component fabrication and assembly services

· Support the sales and applications teams by contributing to custom product proposals and generating mechanical concepts for customer-specific requirements.

· Generate and release design documentation, engineering drawings, bill of materials (BOMs), and manufacturing procedures in compliance with internal quality standards.

· Participate in design reviews and contribute to continuous improvement of product development processes and documentation practices.

Requirements:

· Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field with 2+ years of experience in mechanical design and product engineering, ideally in a manufacturing or high-tech environment

· Proficiency in SolidWorks for modeling and drafting mechanical assemblies.

· Experience designing for manufacturability, including familiarity with machining and rapid prototyping techniques.

· Strong understanding of mechanical principles, thermal management, tolerancing, and material selection for precision assemblies.

· Excellent documentation and communication skills, with experience creating assembly instructions, datasheets, and customer-facing manuals.

· Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and adapt designs based on input from engineering, production, and sales teams.

· Familiarity with electronics packaging and cable/hardware integration is a strong plus.