Optical Prototyping & Product Development Engineer

Picarro, Inc; California (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

FSA/HSA Plans

Paid Time Off

401K

Social events

On-site Health & Wellness programs

Job summary

Picarro, Inc. in Santa Clara, CA seeks a Product Development Engineer to transform novel optical concepts into production-ready prototypes. You will help design, build, and test advanced laser-based systems and optical benches, reporting to the R&D Director of Opto-Mechanical Engineering.

You will contribute across the development lifecycle, prototype early-stage systems, select components, and establish testing stations. Strong written/verbal communication and independent teamwork are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or related field.
• 3–5 years of direct electro-optomechanical testing and prototype development experience.
• Ability to troubleshoot electro-optomechanical assemblies and PCBs from circuit diagrams.
• Experience aligning complex optical benchtop setups for stable performance.
• Strong knowledge of optical principles (aberrations, polarization, light propagation).
• Experience selecting lenses, mirrors, prisms, filters, and detectors.
• Ability to develop test plans to characterize prototypes.
• Familiarity with optical metrology tools and alignment characterization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to work independently or in teams.
• Experience with scripting or programming for data analysis and instrument control.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to opto-mechanical design and rapid prototyping transitioning to pilot production.
• Prepare SOPs and establish assembly/testing stations; train staff.
• Evaluate COTS and custom optical/mechanical components for performance and manufacturability.
• Develop and execute test plans to validate prototypes and drive design improvements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across R&D.

Skills

Electro-optomechanical testing

Prototype development

System design

Troubleshooting electrical PCBs

Optical alignment

Scripting for data analysis

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics

Job description

Picarro, Inc. in Santa Clara, CA seeks a Product Development Engineer to transform novel optical concepts into production-ready prototypes. You will help design, build, and test advanced laser-based systems and optical benches, reporting to the R&D Director of Opto-Mechanical Engineering.

You will contribute across the development lifecycle, prototype early-stage systems, select components, and establish testing stations. Strong written/verbal communication and independent teamwork are required.