Electro-Optics Systems Engineer — Metamaterials & EO/IR

Penn State Lady Lions; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) in State College, PA is seeking an Electro-Optics Materials and Device Engineer Faculty to lead research on metasurfaces, photonic structures, and advanced electro-optical designs for imaging, HEL delivery, and sensing systems.

The role involves translating ambiguous research problems into executable plans, modeling system performance, and coordinating with sponsors and collaborators across disciplines.

Qualifications

• Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment and meet project schedule requirements.
• Design, analysis, procurement, assembly and testing of components and complete electro-optic and infrared (EO/IR) systems for military applications.
• Microelectronic systems and detector fabrication processes.
• Past success in a multitude of optical and electrical materials and systems.
• Past success operating as a systems engineer for imaging systems.
• Photonic structures and other optical metamaterial designs approaches.

Responsibilities

• Act as part of team leadership that operates in this ambiguous space and develops the executable plan for the rest of the team.
• Perform physics-based modeling to predict the performance of imaging system concepts and designs.
• Drive system level trade studies to develop architectures and allocate system level requirements across subsystems and engineering disciplines.
• Routinely interface with sponsors, customers, end-users, and collaborators to understand their problems, brainstorm solutions, scope research, communicate the technical aspects of research execution, and convey the significance of results.
• Provide input to the strategic direction of the department's research pursuits by helping to establish the appropriate core competencies and evaluating where our capabilities best align with a sponsor's needs.

Skills

Independent work

Systems design

Microelectronics

Optical materials

Imaging systems

Metamaterial designs

Team leadership

EO/IR systems

Manufacturing EO/IR experience

Imaging system design & testing

Radiometry & link budgets

Distributed teams

Security clearance

Job description

Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) in State College, PA is seeking an Electro-Optics Materials and Device Engineer Faculty to lead research on metasurfaces, photonic structures, and advanced electro-optical designs for imaging, HEL delivery, and sensing systems.

The role involves translating ambiguous research problems into executable plans, modeling system performance, and coordinating with sponsors and collaborators across disciplines.