IIA Project Engineer-I Recruitment 2026

Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) is hiring 2 Project Engineer-I professionals for its India-TMT Coordination Centre (ITCC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka — one for Mechanical-QA and one for Optics. If you have a BE/B.Tech/M.Sc or ME/M.Tech degree in the relevant engineering or physics discipline with the required experience, you can attend the walk-in interview on 20 August 2026. There is no online application — you just need to walk in with your documents. The salary is a consolidated Rs. 91,000 per month, and the upper age limit is 32 years.

Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) Project Engineer-I Recruitment 2026 - 2 Posts

IIA is an autonomous national research institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, working on astronomy, astrophysics and allied technologies. IIA is part of India's contribution to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project — a next-generation observatory being built on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, in partnership with Caltech and universities in the US, Canada, Japan and China. The India-TMT Coordination Centre (ITCC), hosted at IIA Bengaluru, is recruiting 2 Project Engineer-I professionals — one in Mechanical Quality Assurance and one in Optics — to support quality inspection and testing of hardware components being manufactured by Indian industry for TMT. Both posts carry the same consolidated salary of Rs. 91,000 per month. This is a strong opportunity for engineers who want hands-on experience with a major international space-science megaproject.

Vacancy Breakdown by Discipline

• Project Engineer-I (Mechanical-QA): 1 post
• Project Engineer-I (Optics): 1 post

Who Can Apply?

For Project Engineer-I (Mechanical-QA):

• Qualification: You need a BE/B.Tech/M.Sc in Mechanical, Production, Industrial or Aerospace Engineering with 60% marks or an equivalent grade, OR an ME/M.Tech in the same disciplines with 60% marks.
• Experience: If you hold a BE/B.Tech/M.Sc, you need 2 years of relevant experience in industry, PSU, government or a research organisation, including at least 1 year specifically in quality assurance, quality control or manufacturing/industrial engineering. If you hold an ME/M.Tech, relevant project experience in the same areas is enough.
• Desirable: Knowledge of GD&T (ASME Y14.5 standards), quality systems and audits, statistical quality control, and failure analysis will help during selection.

For Project Engineer-I (Optics):

• Qualification: You need a BE/B.Tech/M.Sc in Optics, Photonics or Applied Physics with 60% marks or an equivalent grade, OR an ME/M.Tech in the same disciplines with 60% marks.
• Experience: Same experience rule as above — 2 years (including 1 year in QA/QC) for BE/B.Tech/M.Sc holders, or relevant project experience for ME/M.Tech holders.
• Desirable: Experience with optical testing, interferometry, optical metrology tools, and programming in Python or MATLAB for data analysis is an advantage.

General Conditions (Both Posts):

• Nationality: Only candidates of Indian Nationality can attend the walk-in interview.
• Posting: You are liable to be posted anywhere in India as per the requirement of the Institute/Project, though the current place of posting is IIA, Bengaluru.

Age Limit

• You should not be older than 32 years as on the date of the walk-in interview (20 August 2026).
• Age Relaxation: SC/ST/OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates and persons with disabilities get age relaxation as per Government of India rules.

Salary

• Both posts carry a consolidated salary of Rs. 91,000 per month.
• This is a fixed consolidated amount — no TA/DA is paid for attending the walk-in interview.

Selection Process

IIA will select candidates directly through a walk-in interview process:

1. Document Verification: Bring your original certificates and one set of self-attested photocopies at the time of registration (9:00 AM to 10:00 AM).
2. Written/Skill Test (if required): IIA may conduct a written test to shortlist candidates if the number of applicants is high.
3. Walk-in Interview: The selection committee will assess your qualifications, experience and technical knowledge relevant to the post.

This is a purely contract appointment — the initial tenure is 1 year, extendable annually based on your performance and project requirements, or co-terminus with completion of the TMT project, whichever is earlier. It does not carry any of the privileges or service benefits applicable to regular IIA employees, and no claim for regular employment will be entertained. IIA also reserves the right to cancel the entire recruitment process, re-advertise, or increase/decrease the number of vacancies at any time without assigning a reason.

How to Apply

There is no online application for these posts — you need to attend the walk-in interview in person.

1. Download and fill the application format attached to the advertisement.
2. Paste a recent passport-size photograph on top of the application.
3. Register at the venue between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM on 20 August 2026 — candidates arriving after 10:00 AM will not be entertained.
4. Bring your original certificates, one set of self-attested photocopies, CV, date of birth proof, and ID proof (Aadhar/PAN/Driving Licence).
5. Report to IIA, Koramangala, Bengaluru - 560034 for the interview.

Important Dates

• Notification Date: 30 July 2026
• Walk-in Interview Date: 20 August 2026 (Registration: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM)

• Review quality documents and manufacturing data for TMT hardware components made by Indian industry partners
• Develop and update inspection procedures and test setups for mechanical and optical components
• Conduct quality audits at supplier and industry sites and track non-conformances
• Analyze quality trends and prepare inspection/test reports for the ITCC team
• Coordinate with suppliers and project engineers to resolve component quality issues
• Handle optical/mechanical metrology equipment for testing and alignment
• Travel to partner industries across India to inspect and verify TMT hardware components