AO Wavefront Sensing & Control Systems Lead

Jobtailor; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced leader to drive Wavefront Sensing & Control within our GMT AO program. You will oversee cross-functional teams, ensure subsystem design maturity, and coordinate integration, testing, and delivery of WFSC hardware.

Role requires 10+ years in optical systems or adaptive optics, strong management experience, and hands-on AO testbed work. Travel to observatories and vendor sites may be required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years of relevant experience in optical systems, adaptive optics, or related complex engineering programs.
• Experience managing and delivering adaptive optics systems or astronomical instruments and key components such as cameras, detectors, and deformable mirrors.
• Hands-on experience developing adaptive optics systems and/or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) optical testbeds.
• Experience in Optical Systems Engineering and real-time controls.
• Experience in technical management, including budgets and schedules.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Wavefront Sensing & Control team and collaborate with System Engineering to ensure designs traceable to system-level requirements.
• Bring WFSC subsystem designs to full maturity and plan final integration, testing, and delivery.
• Provide leadership and technical oversight for AO system engineering and WFSC hardware subsystems.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Team management

Outstanding written communication

Outstanding oral communication

Budget creation and management

Earned value management

Real-time controls

System engineering

Optical systems engineering

Education

M.S. degree in optical science, astronomy, physics, or a related field

Tools

Cameras

Detectors

Deformable mirrors

Testbeds

Optical testbeds

Job description

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced leader to drive Wavefront Sensing & Control within our GMT AO program. You will oversee cross-functional teams, ensure subsystem design maturity, and coordinate integration, testing, and delivery of WFSC hardware.

Role requires 10+ years in optical systems or adaptive optics, strong management experience, and hands-on AO testbed work. Travel to observatories and vendor sites may be required.