Optical Engineer - Camera

Harmattan AI; Paris; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmattan AI, a next-generation defense company, seeks an Optical Engineer for the Gimbal team to own the optical performance of EO/IR payloads and guide products from prototype to production. You will collaborate with mechanical, electronics, software and perception teams to size, select optics, and validate image quality.

We value rigor, ownership and pragmatic execution in a startup environment, and look for hands-on engineers with experience in optical measurements, test benches, and

Qualifications

• Master's degree or engineering degree with a specialization in optics.
• 3+ years of experience in optical engineering.
• Proven experience sizing an electro-optical or infrared optical system.
• Hands-on experience with camera calibration, MTF, and NETD.
• Experience developing optical test benches, from architecture to validation and integration.
• Solid grounding in image processing: distortion, gamma, and geometric and photometric correction.
• Experience with thermal cameras is a strong plus.
• Hands-on, rigorous and pragmatic with startup autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Size and design EO/IR imaging payloads, balancing FOV, resolution, range, and sensor choice.
• Select lenses and sensors or lead custom optical designs.
• Design, build, and maintain optical test benches for development and production.
• Measure and validate image quality: MTF, focus, boresight, distortion, NETD.
• Develop the calibration pipeline with software and perception teams.
• Integrate optics into mechanical assemblies with tolerancing and sealing.
• Investigate optical issues from prototype to production.
• Manage optical suppliers and support industrialization of lenses and components.
• Run field tests to assess image quality in real operating conditions.

Skills

Optical engineering

Camera calibration

MTF

NETD

Test benches

Image processing

Education

Master's degree or engineering degree with a specialization in optics

Tools

Optical design tools

Job description

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role

As an Optical Engineer in the Gimbal team, you are responsible for the optical performance of our EO/IR imaging payloads, which drive image quality, detection range, and robustness in operation. You will work on current products and shape the design of future ones. You follow each product from sizing and prototyping through validation and mass production, working closely with the mechanical, electronics, software, computer vision and industrialization teams.

Responsibilities

• Sizing and design of EO/IR imaging payloads, arbitrating between field of view, resolution, range, and sensor choice.
• Select lenses and sensors, or lead custom optical designs, against image quality and robustness targets.
• Design, build, and maintain optical test benches for development, validation, and production.
• Measure and validate image quality: MTF, focus, boresight, distortion, and NETD for infrared.
• Develop the camera calibration pipeline (intrinsics, extrinsics, distortion, photometric and radiometric correction) with the software and perception teams.
• Integrate optics into mechanical assemblies, covering tolerancing, athermalisation, windows, coatings, and sealing.
• Investigate optical issues across the product life cycle, from prototype to series production.
• Manage optical suppliers and support industrialization of lenses, sensors, and components.
• Run field tests to assess image quality in real operating conditions.

Candidate Requirements

• Master's degree or engineering degree with a specialization in optics.
• 3+ years of experience in optical engineering, ideally on camera or imaging systems.
• Proven experience sizing an electro-optical or infrared optical system.
• Hands‑on experience with standard optical measurements such as camera calibration, MTF, and NETD.
• Experience developing optical test benches, from architecture to validation and integration.
• Solid grounding in image processing: distortion, gamma, and geometric and photometric correction.
• Experience with thermal cameras is a strong plus.
• Hands‑on, rigorous, and pragmatic, with the autonomy to iterate fast in a startup environment.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.