Lead Space EO/IR Imaging Systems Engineer

Eoptic, Inc.; City of Rochester (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Eoptic, based in Rochester, NY, seeks an experienced Space Imaging Systems Chief Engineer to own the technical success of EO/IR payloads from concept through on-orbit commissioning. You will lead optical, mechanical, electrical and thermal engineering teams, balancing performance, schedule and cost while delivering high-reliability space payloads.

The ideal candidate has hands-on design, integration, qualification and launch experience for space EO/IR missions, including telescope design, focal

Qualifications

• BS in Optical Engineering, Imaging Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 15+ years in EO/IR system development, with 5+ years as chief engineer, system architect or technical lead.
• Space-based EO/IR payload experience through design, integration, qualification, launch and on-orbit commissioning, ideally on smallsat or ESPA-class buses.
• Hands-on experience designing or leading development of focal plane readout electronics: ROIC interfacing, detector bias and clocking, low-noise analog signal chains and ADCs, FPGA timing/data handling.
• Hands-on skill with optical design and analysis tools (Zemax/OpticStudio or CODE V) and with radiometric/image-quality modeling.
• Experience taking hardware through environmental qualification and formal design reviews for defense/aerospace customers.
• Proven ability to lead cross-disciplinary teams and to explain technical trades to customers and executives.
• U.S. Person status under U.S. export laws, and the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Technical authority: Own the payload system architecture and requirements flow-down from mission needs to subsystem specs.
• Optical/telescope design: Manage design, tolerancing and stray-light analysis for MWIR/LWIR and visible optics.
• Focal plane readout electronics: Develop ROIC interface, bias/clocking, low-noise analog chains and ADCs; FPGA timing/data handling.
• Sensor integration: Align focal plane assemblies with the telescope, including cryogenic interfaces.
• Radiometric performance: Define and verify image quality and radiometric budgets; calibrate non-uniformity and on-orbit radiometry.
• Environmental qualification: Plan/run thermal-vacuum, vibration, EMI/EMC, radiation tests; STOP analysis.
• Design reviews and customer interface: Lead SRR/ PDR/CDR/TRR/PSR; support proposals and cost/schedule estimates.
• Design for production: Scale to hundreds of units/year; define alignment/test/acceptance processes.
• Team leadership: Hire/mentor lead engineering teams across optics/mechanical/electronics; set standards.
• Suppliers: Qualify/manage detector/FPA, optics, cryocoolers/electronics suppliers; resolve issues.

Skills

EO/IR systems

System architecture

Team leadership

Design reviews

Security clearance

Education

B.S. in Optical Engineering

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Zemax/OpticStudio

CODE V

Radiometric modeling tools

Job description

Eoptic, based in Rochester, NY, seeks an experienced Space Imaging Systems Chief Engineer to own the technical success of EO/IR payloads from concept through on-orbit commissioning. You will lead optical, mechanical, electrical and thermal engineering teams, balancing performance, schedule and cost while delivering high-reliability space payloads.

The ideal candidate has hands-on design, integration, qualification and launch experience for space EO/IR missions, including telescope design, focal