Optical Engineer III — Space Telescopes & Imaging

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 153,000 - 188,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental plan

Vision plan

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Flexible schedule

Learning opportunities

Job summary

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena seeks an Optical Engineer III to design and analyze telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers for planetary and remote sensing instruments. You will work within the Optical Engineering group, contributing to tolerancing and alignment of precision optical systems.

The role requires advanced degrees with experience and hands-on hardware integration, along with strong communication and collaboration in a multidisciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Optics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with 6+ years of related experience.
• Master’s degree with 4+ years; PhD with 2+ years relevant experience.
• Experience ray tracing in CODE V or Zemax.
• Practical experience in hardware integration, optical alignment, or state-of-the-art measurement techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design and analysis of telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers.
• Contribute to tolerancing, analysis, and aligning optical systems.
• Support development of optical instruments within the Optical Engineering group.

Skills

Ray tracing CODE V Zemax

Hardware integration

Communication skills

Cooperative teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Optics/Physics/EE (6+ yrs)

Master’s degree in related field (4+ yrs)

PhD in related field (2+ yrs)

Tools

CODE V

Zemax

Python

MATLAB

Job description

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena seeks an Optical Engineer III to design and analyze telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers for planetary and remote sensing instruments. You will work within the Optical Engineering group, contributing to tolerancing and alignment of precision optical systems.

The role requires advanced degrees with experience and hands-on hardware integration, along with strong communication and collaboration in a multidisciplinary environment.