{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"8805bc8dbc23f5d2db2c6c67","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/8805bc8dbc23f5d2db2c6c67","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/8805bc8dbc23f5d2db2c6c67","title":"Senior Optical System Engineer","description":"About Matter Intelligence\nWelcome to Matter, where we are building the future of vision AI: pairing a world-first sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model that will be the most powerful intelligence engine for the physical world. This system doesn’t just see what something looks like; it understands everything from a single pixel. We call this Superintelligent Vision.\nOur team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL, designed advanced sensors for U.S. defense, and built core infrastructure at OpenAI. We are now building the next generation of space- and airborne-based sensing systems.\nAbout the Role\nWe are seeking a Senior Optical Systems Engineer to own the end-to-end optical performance of complex electro-optical payloads — from early concept and system trades through design, integration, test, and (where applicable) on-orbit or airborne operation.\nThis role is the technical authority for optical system performance, responsible for translating mission objectives into optical requirements, guiding design implementation, verifying performance analytically and experimentally, and supporting calibration and operations.\nYou will work closely with systems engineering, optomechanical, thermal, electronics, AI&T, and data teams, as well as external suppliers and partners.\nKey Responsibilities\nOptical System Architecture & Trades\nDefine and own optical system architectures for spaceborne and airborne remote-sensing payloads.\nTranslate mission objectives into optical requirements (resolution, SNR, spectral performance, stability).\nLead system-level optical trades (e.g., aperture, altitude, FOV, spectral bandpass, detector selection).\nSupport mission-level performance modeling including radiometric, geometric, and image-quality budgets.\nOptical Performance Analysis\nDevelop and maintain comprehensive optical performance models.\nPerform and review analyses including:\nRadiometry and SNR\nMTF and image quality metrics\nSpectral response and bandpass performance\nSensitivity to alignment, thermal, and structural effects\nSupport STOP analysis in collaboration with optomechanical and thermal engineers.\nIndependently verify performance predictions from internal teams or external suppliers.\nDesign Oversight & Integration\nReview and guide optical and opto-mechanical designs to ensure system-level performance requirements are met.\nProvide technical oversight to internal and external payload development activities.\nSupport optical alignment strategies, tolerances, and verification plans.\nPartner with AI&T teams during payload integration, alignment, and test.\nTest, Calibration & Operations Support\nDefine optical verification and validation approaches.\nSupport ground testing, calibration, and environmental qualification of payloads.\nAnalyze test data to validate optical performance and close requirements.\nSupport commissioning activities, including on-orbit or airborne data analysis and image quality assessment.\nAssist in diagnosing and resolving optical performance anomalies during test or operations.\nCross-Functional Leadership\nPresent optical designs and performance results at system, program, and customer reviews.\nCommunicate complex optical concepts clearly to multidisciplinary and non-optical audiences.\nMentor junior optical and systems engineers.\nContribute optical content to proposals, BOEs, and technical planning efforts.\nWhat Success Looks Like\nOptical systems meet or exceed performance requirements across all mission phases.\nOptical performance is well understood, modeled, and verified before flight.\nIntegration and test proceed smoothly with minimal optical rework.\nCalibration and commissioning yield high-quality, reliable data products.\nOptical risks are identified early and mitigated effectively.\nQualifications\nRequired\nBachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.\n8+ years of experience in optical systems engineering for EO/IR or remote-sensing systems.\nStrong expertise in optical performance analysis (MTF, SNR, radiometry, spectral response).\nExperience with detector technologies (CCD, CMOS, IR focal planes).\nExperience supporting optical testing and performance validation.\nAbility to communicate effectively across disciplines and with customers.\nWillingness to mentor and provide technical leadership.\n\nPreferred\nMaster’s degree or PhD in a relevant technical discipline.\nExperience with spaceborne or high-altitude airborne imaging systems.\nFamiliarity with optical design and analysis tools (Zemax, Code V, FRED, or equivalent).\nProficiency with data analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, IDL, ENVI).\nExperience with optical coatings, tolerancing, and alignment planning.\nExperience supporting on-orbit calibration and image quality monitoring.\nExperience contributing to technical proposals (NASA, DoD, SBIR, commercial).\n\nLocation\nThis role is based in El Segundo, CA, with onsite presence required (temporary remote flexibility may be considered). Some travel may be required.\nITAR Requirements\nTo comply with U.S. export regulations, applicants must be one of the following:\nA U.S. citizen or national\nA lawful permanent resident (green card holder)\nEligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State\nEmployee Offerings & Benefits\nAt Matter, we believe in rewarding high performance and providing the support you need to thrive. Our compensation and benefits package includes:\nCompensation: Competitive total package based on experience.\nEquity: Early-stage equity package so you share directly in Matter’s growth and success.\nHealth & Wellness: 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage.\nGrowth: Opportunities to expand into leadership, strategic accounts, or cross-functional roles as we scale.\nWho You Are\nYou are a technically deep optical systems engineer who enjoys working at the intersection of physics, hardware, and mission performance. You think in terms of complete systems — understanding how optical decisions propagate into mechanical design, thermal stability, electronics, and data products.\nYou are comfortable owning performance, engaging with ambiguity, and validating designs through analysis and test. You communicate clearly, collaborate naturally across disciplines, and take pride in delivering optical systems that enable mission success.","company":"Matter Intelligence","rawCompany":"matter intelligence","city":"El Segundo","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-04-14T10:58:56.847Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2199.07","title":"Photonics Engineers","slug":"photonics-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"},{"code":"17-2011.00","title":"Aerospace Engineers","slug":"aerospace-engineers"}],"industries":[{"code":"334511","title":"Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing","slug":"search-detection-navigation-guidance-aeronautical-and-nautical-system-and-instrument-manufacturing"},{"code":"927110","title":"Space Research and Technology","slug":"space-research-and-technology"},{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Senior Optical System Engineer","description":"About Matter Intelligence\nWelcome to Matter, where we are building the future of vision AI: pairing a world-first sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model that will be the most powerful intelligence engine for the physical world. This system doesn’t just see what something looks like; it understands everything from a single pixel. We call this Superintelligent Vision.\nOur team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL, designed advanced sensors for U.S. defense, and built core infrastructure at OpenAI. We are now building the next generation of space- and airborne-based sensing systems.\nAbout the Role\nWe are seeking a Senior Optical Systems Engineer to own the end-to-end optical performance of complex electro-optical payloads — from early concept and system trades through design, integration, test, and (where applicable) on-orbit or airborne operation.\nThis role is the technical authority for optical system performance, responsible for translating mission objectives into optical requirements, guiding design implementation, verifying performance analytically and experimentally, and supporting calibration and operations.\nYou will work closely with systems engineering, optomechanical, thermal, electronics, AI&T, and data teams, as well as external suppliers and partners.\nKey Responsibilities\nOptical System Architecture & Trades\nDefine and own optical system architectures for spaceborne and airborne remote-sensing payloads.\nTranslate mission objectives into optical requirements (resolution, SNR, spectral performance, stability).\nLead system-level optical trades (e.g., aperture, altitude, FOV, spectral bandpass, detector selection).\nSupport mission-level performance modeling including radiometric, geometric, and image-quality budgets.\nOptical Performance Analysis\nDevelop and maintain comprehensive optical performance models.\nPerform and review analyses including:\nRadiometry and SNR\nMTF and image quality metrics\nSpectral response and bandpass performance\nSensitivity to alignment, thermal, and structural effects\nSupport STOP analysis in collaboration with optomechanical and thermal engineers.\nIndependently verify performance predictions from internal teams or external suppliers.\nDesign Oversight & Integration\nReview and guide optical and opto-mechanical designs to ensure system-level performance requirements are met.\nProvide technical oversight to internal and external payload development activities.\nSupport optical alignment strategies, tolerances, and verification plans.\nPartner with AI&T teams during payload integration, alignment, and test.\nTest, Calibration & Operations Support\nDefine optical verification and validation approaches.\nSupport ground testing, calibration, and environmental qualification of payloads.\nAnalyze test data to validate optical performance and close requirements.\nSupport commissioning activities, including on-orbit or airborne data analysis and image quality assessment.\nAssist in diagnosing and resolving optical performance anomalies during test or operations.\nCross-Functional Leadership\nPresent optical designs and performance results at system, program, and customer reviews.\nCommunicate complex optical concepts clearly to multidisciplinary and non-optical audiences.\nMentor junior optical and systems engineers.\nContribute optical content to proposals, BOEs, and technical planning efforts.\nWhat Success Looks Like\nOptical systems meet or exceed performance requirements across all mission phases.\nOptical performance is well understood, modeled, and verified before flight.\nIntegration and test proceed smoothly with minimal optical rework.\nCalibration and commissioning yield high-quality, reliable data products.\nOptical risks are identified early and mitigated effectively.\nQualifications\nRequired\nBachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.\n8+ years of experience in optical systems engineering for EO/IR or remote-sensing systems.\nStrong expertise in optical performance analysis (MTF, SNR, radiometry, spectral response).\nExperience with detector technologies (CCD, CMOS, IR focal planes).\nExperience supporting optical testing and performance validation.\nAbility to communicate effectively across disciplines and with customers.\nWillingness to mentor and provide technical leadership.\n\nPreferred\nMaster’s degree or PhD in a relevant technical discipline.\nExperience with spaceborne or high-altitude airborne imaging systems.\nFamiliarity with optical design and analysis tools (Zemax, Code V, FRED, or equivalent).\nProficiency with data analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, IDL, ENVI).\nExperience with optical coatings, tolerancing, and alignment planning.\nExperience supporting on-orbit calibration and image quality monitoring.\nExperience contributing to technical proposals (NASA, DoD, SBIR, commercial).\n\nLocation\nThis role is based in El Segundo, CA, with onsite presence required (temporary remote flexibility may be considered). Some travel may be required.\nITAR Requirements\nTo comply with U.S. export regulations, applicants must be one of the following:\nA U.S. citizen or national\nA lawful permanent resident (green card holder)\nEligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State\nEmployee Offerings & Benefits\nAt Matter, we believe in rewarding high performance and providing the support you need to thrive. Our compensation and benefits package includes:\nCompensation: Competitive total package based on experience.\nEquity: Early-stage equity package so you share directly in Matter’s growth and success.\nHealth & Wellness: 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage.\nGrowth: Opportunities to expand into leadership, strategic accounts, or cross-functional roles as we scale.\nWho You Are\nYou are a technically deep optical systems engineer who enjoys working at the intersection of physics, hardware, and mission performance. You think in terms of complete systems — understanding how optical decisions propagate into mechanical design, thermal stability, electronics, and data products.\nYou are comfortable owning performance, engaging with ambiguity, and validating designs through analysis and test. You communicate clearly, collaborate naturally across disciplines, and take pride in delivering optical systems that enable mission success.","datePosted":"2026-04-14T10:58:56.847Z","dateModified":"2026-04-14T10:58:56.847Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Matter Intelligence","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"El Segundo","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"8805bc8dbc23f5d2db2c6c67"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/8805bc8dbc23f5d2db2c6c67"}}