EO Engineering Manager - Lead HEL & Beam Control Programs

nLIGHT, Inc.; Longmont (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks paid time off

11 paid holidays

Employee stock purchase plan

Tuition assistance

Health, vision & dental coverage

Family leave & disability

401k with company match

Job summary

nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. in Longmont, CO is seeking an Electro-Optical Engineering Manager to lead the EO engineering organization delivering advanced HEL systems and beam control solutions.

You will guide architecture, requirements flow-down, and program execution while mentoring a diverse engineering team. This role requires an experienced engineering leader capable of driving technical direction, managing resources, and engaging with customers and government partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading technical teams in a dynamic environment.
• Experience with High Energy Laser (HEL), Directed Energy, or EO systems is highly preferred.
• U.S. DoD security clearance or ability to obtain clearance is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Electro-Optical Engineers across multiple programs.
• Establish technical direction, standards, and development methodologies for EO engineering.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for HEL weapon systems and EO integration.
• Serve as senior technical authority for system architecture, requirements, interfaces, verification and risk management.
• Manage resources, staffing priorities, and workload across programs, proposals, and initiatives.
• Engage with customers, support design reviews, demonstrations, and program execution.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Communication

Program management

Systems engineering

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

MATLAB

LabVIEW

Job description

nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. in Longmont, CO is seeking an Electro-Optical Engineering Manager to lead the EO engineering organization delivering advanced HEL systems and beam control solutions.

You will guide architecture, requirements flow-down, and program execution while mentoring a diverse engineering team. This role requires an experienced engineering leader capable of driving technical direction, managing resources, and engaging with customers and government partners.