Optical Engineer

About the CompanyWe are not just looking for someone with optics on their resume. We are looking for someone who does hard things on their own, without being asked. Maybe you rebuilt an engine in your garage because you wanted to understand how it worked. Maybe you spent a summer teaching yourself to machine parts because a project you cared about needed them. Maybe you read papers on weekends because something at work did not quite add up and it bothered you enough to chase it down. The specific domain does not matter as much as the pattern: you see a problem, you get curious, and you figure it out, not because someone assigned it, but because you could not leave it alone. That quality, genuine intellectual curiosity and the drive to do hard things independently, is the single most important thing we are hiring for. Technical skills matter, but they can be developed on the job. Curiosity cannot be taught.About the RoleThis is a growth role working directly alongside a senior optical systems engineer on the design, analysis, and testing of precision optical instruments for commercial space and semiconductor extreme precision metrology applications. The work spans the full engineering lifecycle, from concept and requirements through optical analysis, lab integration, test, and deployment. Mentorship is taken seriously here, and the career development path is accelerated. If you are willing to learn, we are willing to invest.ResponsibilitiesOptical analysis and simulation: Support system-level optical analysis using tools such as Zemax OpticStudio. Evaluate performance against requirements, explore sensitivities, and help translate optical designs into something buildable and testable.Lab work, alignment, integration, and metrology: Participate in the hands-on work of building and testing optical systems. This includes precision alignment, setting up and operating test configurations, and learning to use metrology equipment carefully and correctly.Systems engineering support: Help develop and maintain the connective tissue of a well-run program: requirements, interface definitions, analysis documentation, test procedures, and traceability. Learn to think about systems, not just components, and how optical performance connects to broader mission objectives. QualificationsEducation: BS in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a field with meaningful optics content. We are not rigid about the degree title, but we do expect demonstrated engagement with optics, whether through coursework, research, a senior project, or serious self-study. Required SkillsTechnical foundations: You do not need to arrive knowing everything, but you should have an honest grounding in the basics of both geometric and physical optics: how optical systems form images, what aberrations are and where they come from, what a wavefront is, and why diffraction and coherence matter. Depth in any one area is less important than having the right mental models in place to build on.CAD and drawing skills are useful but not a hiring criterion. If you have them, good. If not, that can be addressed. Preferred SkillsThis role is explicitly designed for someone at the beginning of their career who wants to grow into a well-rounded optical systems engineer. The expectation is increasing autonomy over time, from executing directed tasks to owning analysis and design work, and eventually contributing at the systems level across requirements, architecture, and integration.Pay range and compensation packageExpected compensation details are not provided in the original description.Equal Opportunity StatementWe are committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices.