Optical Engineer Level 4

Monarch Quantum; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k)

PTO

Holidays

Job summary

Monarch Quantum is seeking a Principal Optical Engineer to help build foundational capabilities in a fast-growing startup environment. The role combines hands-on design, rigorous analysis, and leadership in cutting-edge laser technologies.

You will work with leadership to implement engineering practices, mentor teammates, and drive product roadmap alignment through robust optical modeling and metrology. This full-time role offers comprehensive benefits and a dynamic team culture.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 9 years of relevant experience, ideally within a startup or technology company.

Responsibilities

• Work independently and in a team while overcommunicating with the manager, project engineer, and teammates.
• Execute complex engineering tasks involving planning, data collection, analysis, and decision-making with peer reviews and documentation.
• Ensure data quality, conformance to best practices, and clear communication and documentation.
• Grow competency through mentorship, curiosity, communication, exposure, and initiative.
• Drive innovation in modeling, design, analysis, and alignment to support the product roadmap.
• Support project engineering with scope, schedule, and risk analysis.

Skills

Beam propagation

Ray tracing

Optical design

Fiber optics

Tolerance analysis

Metrology

Non-sequential design

Vendor engagement

Python

Zemax OSLO FRED

Education

Bachelor's in Optical Engineering

Physics degree

Tools

Zemax

OSLO

FRED

Python

Job description

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Optical Engineer. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment.You'llhave the opportunity to work oncutting edgetechnologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

• Work independently and in a team while overcommunicating with the manager, project engineer,and teammates.
• Execute complex engineering tasks involving planning, preparation, data/information collection,and analysis and decision-making in a process involving peer reviews and documentation of the results.
• Use tenacity, patience, self-discipline,and passion for excellence to assure accuracy of execution schedule, data quality/integrity, conformance to company best practices, clarity in communication,and documentation
• Use every opportunity to grow competency throughmentorship, curiosity, communication, exposure,and initiative
• Drive innovation in modeling, design, analysis, and alignment methods to support product roadmap
• Support project engineering with project scope, schedule, and risk analysis

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Optical Engineer. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment.You'llhave the opportunity to work oncutting edgetechnologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

• Work independently and in a team while overcommunicating with the manager, project engineer,and teammates.

• Execute complex engineering tasks involving planning, preparation, data/information collection,and analysis and decision-making in a process involving peer reviews and documentation of the results.

• Use tenacity, patience, self-discipline,and passion for excellence to assure accuracy of execution schedule, data quality/integrity, conformance to company best practices, clarity in communication,and documentation

• Use every opportunity to grow competency throughmentorship, curiosity, communication, exposure,and initiative

• Drive innovation in modeling, design, analysis, and alignment methods to support product roadmap

• Support project engineering with project scope, schedule, and risk analysis

Requirements

• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)

Experience

• A bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• Minimum of 9 years of relevant experience, ideally within a startup or technology company

Skills

• Deep understanding of laser beam propagation: how optic movement and rotationimpacta beam's near-field, far-field, beam quality, and fiber coupling efficiency
• Fluency applying ray-equivalent methods of laser propagation to guide architecture and debug layout questions
• Fluencydeterminingthe best way to answer a design problem, including combinations of design software, macros, external code, and manual calculations
• Ability to use paraxial raytracingandABCD matrices to derive analytical expressions for trends, sensitivities, and scaling factors in various optical layouts
• Fluency in applying first-order imaging and the overlap integral of Gaussian beams to interrogate the design space of a laser module
• Understanding of howcomponentproperties impact alignment sensitivity (e.g. collimation lens focal length)
• Ability to take a novel optical design question, distill it to an algebraic method, andvalidatethe analysis using a second calculation method (e.g. optical design software).
• Ability to turn exotic optical requirements into concrete analysis tasks (e.g. acousto-optic modulator RF tuning range, impact of thermal lensing)
• Fluency in applying first-order imaging and the overlap integral of Gaussian beams to derivecomponentfabrication and alignment requirements
• Ability to derive quantitative requirements for optic prescriptions (surface roughness, scratch/dig, surface power, surface irregularity, aspheric sag error, material properties)
• Understanding of different tolerancing methods for conventionally polished, sub-aperture polished, and precision glass molded components
• Ability to engage vendors to understand capabilities and drive clarity to get quotes for components, accounting for supplier yield, risk, and schedule
• Understanding of optical metrology methods and how to specify a drawing congruent with a vendor's measurement facilities
• Fluency creating efficient layout optimization workflows in non-sequential design software for nontrivial architectures
• Understanding of polarization ray tracing and how to analyzepolarization through optic trains with dozens of surfaces
• Understanding of polarization components within both Jones and Mueller models
• Deep understanding of fiber optics for high power CW laser systems: multi-mode, single mode, polarizationmaintaining, step index, photonic crystal, endcaps
• Understanding of stray light analysis in the context of a laser system
• Demonstrated successful execution of engineering tasks including use of design software (AnsysZemaxOpticStudio, Photon Engineering FRED, and/or Lambda Research OSLO preferred) and quantitative analysis/programming tools (Python), instrumentation and measurement, part fabrication or procurement, integration and test, data collection, and documentation

Startup Mindset

• You're creative, flexible, and eager to wear multiple hats.
• You're passionate about building systems from the ground up and comfortable with ambiguity and change

Benefits

The expected annual salary range for this position is $150,000-$200,000.

As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch's comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
• 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
• 13 paid company holidays
• 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)

Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.