Lead Photonic Systems Engineer for Flight-Prototyped Sensors

Mavericks Photonics; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity stock option grant (0.5-1.25%)

Job summary

Mavericks Photonics, a Stanford spin-off based in San Francisco, seeks a founding Photonic Systems Engineer to lead the opto-electronic system powering our record-setting sensors. You will design, build, and calibrate the full sensor pipeline from optical sources to processing electronics, guiding prototypes toward high-altitude flight readiness.

The role demands hands-on expertise in low-noise analog/digital electronics, optical interferometry, and PCB design, with strong teamwork and

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Applied Physics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Solid foundation in optical interferometry (impact of source, optics, detectors, and electronics on performance).
• Experience with low-noise analog & mixed-signal circuits, including simulation and PCB design (SPICE, Altium, KiCad).
• Experimental background in building optical setups, data collection, and tracing sources of noise and drift.
• Strong teamwork, communication & presentation skills (oral and written).

Responsibilities

• Interrogation system design: Design & build the opto-electronic architecture powering photonic sensor chips.
• Analog & mixed-signal circuit design: Design, simulate & build low-noise optical receivers, digitizers, and control circuits.
• System calibration: Characterize and calibrate the integrated system’s sensitivity, noise, and drift.
• Noise mitigation: Identify and mitigate sources of optical & electronic noise, and thermal drifts.
• Flight prototyping: Prepare the first flight-ready prototypes for high-altitude deployments.
• Documentation & communication: Document the system from design to deployment and present your work.

Skills

Optical interferometry

Analog & mixed-signal design

PCB design

Data collection & noise analysis

Collaboration & communication

Education

MS or PhD in Applied Physics/Physics/EE

Tools

SPICE

Altium

KiCad

Job description

Mavericks Photonics, a Stanford spin-off based in San Francisco, seeks a founding Photonic Systems Engineer to lead the opto-electronic system powering our record-setting sensors. You will design, build, and calibrate the full sensor pipeline from optical sources to processing electronics, guiding prototypes toward high-altitude flight readiness.

The role demands hands-on expertise in low-noise analog/digital electronics, optical interferometry, and PCB design, with strong teamwork and