Optical Engineering Lead for Space Lasercom Systems

Blue Origin LLC; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 183,807 - 257,329; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Stock options

Paid time off

Education support program

Job summary

Blue Origin in the Seattle area seeks a Senior Manager of Optical Engineering to lead a team designing telescope assemblies for the TeraWave payload. You will own the optical light path and drive STOP analyses to ensure performance in space environments, guiding the design from concept through high-volume production.

Applicants should have 7+ years in optical design and 3+ years of leadership, with strong cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of optical system design experience.
• 3+ years of leading engineering teams or serving as a technical lead.
• Experience with opto-mechanical design and STOP analysis for space or high-reliability environments.
• U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of optical and opto-mechanical engineers through the full design lifecycle, from concept through EVT and DVT.
• Own the technical direction for telescope assemblies and optical light path design for the TeraWave OISL payload.
• Drive detailed opto-mechanical design and STOP analysis to meet performance requirements across the mission environment.
• Lead the NPI process, ensuring designs are documented and producible at high volume, ready for handoff to production.
• Manage personnel including hiring, workload planning, performance reviews, and career development.
• Partner with systems, mechanical, thermal, and manufacturing engineering teams for alignment across the program.
• Support sustaining engineering by providing design documentation and lessons learned to production.
• Identify and manage technical risks, drive design trades, and communicate recommendations to leadership.

Skills

Optical system design

Team leadership

STOP analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Master's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline

Job description

Blue Origin in the Seattle area seeks a Senior Manager of Optical Engineering to lead a team designing telescope assemblies for the TeraWave payload. You will own the optical light path and drive STOP analyses to ensure performance in space environments, guiding the design from concept through high-volume production.

Applicants should have 7+ years in optical design and 3+ years of leadership, with strong cross-functional collaboration.