Pointing/Acquisition/Tracking and Controls Engineer-Technical Staff

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Pension

401K match

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA seeks a Pointing/Acquisition/Tracking and Controls Engineer-Technical Staff to drive prototype optical/quantum communication systems across space and ground terminals. You will lead cross-disciplinary technical workstreams, translate mission goals into executable plans, and deliver high-impact results.

You will mentor Associate/Assistant Technical Staff, collaborate with engineers across optical, mechanical, and software domains, and contribute to papers,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and typically 6+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 4+ years; or PhD and typically 0+ years.
• Diverse technical expertise with ability to adapt to unfamiliar disciplines and environments.
• Experience leading projects or major workstreams and delivering complex technical outcomes.
• Mentorship, collaboration, and ability to communicate recommendations and risks to varied audiences.
• Experience contributing to technical reports, papers, or proposals.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects and major workstreams involving multidisciplinary development and testing.
• Apply deep technical expertise and systems-level judgment to complex problems.
• Translate objectives into actionable technical plans and influence program direction.
• Collaborate with sponsors and teams to align priorities and deliverables.
• Mentor staff and guide junior personnel.
• Contribute to papers, reports, and roadmaps advancing mission outcomes.

Skills

Project leadership

Systems integration

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree or PhD (advantageous)

Tools

MATLAB

Job description

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Pointing/Acquisition/Tracking and Controls Engineer-Technical Staff

The Optical and Quantum Communication Group develops impactful quantum and classical technologies and system prototypes for use in a wide range of challenging applications in terrestrial, space and underwater environments. Primary areas of research include the development of novel entangled-photon source technologies and quantum memory systems; novel quantum link architectures; sensitive single-photon receivers; novel modulation and coding approaches; multi-format laser-comm modems; robust and compact free-space optical beam directors; and precision beam pointing, link acquisition and tracking systems. The group is leveraging these technologies for use in prototype systems that are deployed in the field to inform next-generation quantum and classical optical system capabilities. Examples of near-term field tests include terabit-per-second direct-to-Earth small-satellite constellations, near-Earth wideband relay laser communication terminal hardware for space and ground terminal use, and next-generation beam-director prototypes that are inherently scalable to deep-space optical comm systems, and quantum state transfer across a regional quantum network testbed.

Job Overview

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Technical Staff provide critical through expert multi-domain or new-domain innovative research supporting the Laboratory’s national security mission. They prototype state-of-the-art technology solutions and engage across the program lifecycle, leading projects or major/multiple technical workstreams in partnership with project, program and team/Group leaders. As a Technical Staff member, you will lead complex technical efforts requiring deep expertise, sound judgment, with the ability to successfully navigate technical complexity. Depending on the level, you will lead projects, major workstreams, complex programs, multi-program initiatives, or technical portfolios on extraordinary technology prototype efforts and creative new ideas and approaches that support critical mission needs. Depending on the level, you will translate broad Group strategy into clearly defined research or executional deliverables. Through integrating your deep technical expertise across disciplines, you consistently drive high-quality mission outcomes.

As a successful candidate, you will connect deep and diverse technical expertise with broader Laboratory objectives, perform independent research, develop creative approaches, and translate broad strategy into executable plans. You will work across or guide multidisciplinary teams through ambiguous trade-offs; helping develop and execute programs, creating briefings and reports, and often interfacing with sponsors. You effectively support sponsor, mission-partner, and Laboratory leadership’s needs through daily or weekly technical briefings, program documentation, proposals, and may conduct advanced capability road mapping and development. You will also guide and mentor Associate Technical Staff, Assistant Technical Staff, and other technical support personnel.

Additional Job Overview Details

The Optical/Quantum Communications Technology Group seeks a full time Technical Staff member to contribute to the design, analysis, development, testing and integration of optical communications systems to support its lasercom prototype systems development in challenging channels such as atmospheric or undersea. In particular, an understanding of atmospheric effects, turbulence, and experience with adaptive optics or tracking technologies is highly desired, along with a strong controls and system analysis background. The staff member will work closely with a team of engineers to develop complex prototype optical communications hardware, with a focus on developing the pointing, acquisition and tracking systems for both space and ground terminals. The staff member will work closely with the rest of the engineering team, in particular with optical, mechanical, and software disciplines to implement the required technologies to achieve the appropriate performance in fielded demonstrations.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead projects, complex programs, major technical workstreams, multi-program initiatives, or technical portfolios involving multidisciplinary development, analysis, prototyping, integration, testing, evaluation, and technology transition.
• Apply deep technical expertise and systems-level judgment to highly complex and ambiguous problems, evaluating alternatives, trade-offs, risks, stakeholder needs, and mission implications.
• Translate broad or unclear objectives into actionable technical plans and influence program direction, architectures, systems, priorities, and roadmaps across teams, Groups, or mission areas.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, sponsors, mission partners, and internal leaders to align priorities, resolve dependencies, and guide decisions and deliverables.
• Assess and improve technical tools, processes, methods, documentation, execution practices, and organizational capability.
• Serve as a technical resource and mentor by reviewing work, framing trade-offs and risks, and developing staff and emerging leaders.
• Contribute substantially to papers, reports, presentations, proposals, grants, roadmaps, and other materials that advance mission outcomes and technical direction.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates will be considered for the appropriate level based on their education, experience, demonstrated technical expertise and breadth, leadership responsibilities, and the scale and complexity of programs or technical efforts they have led.

Level 5 – Technical Staff

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 6+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 4+ years of relevant experience; or PhD and typically 0+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Diverse technical expertise with demonstrated ability to adapt that expertise to unfamiliar or emerging disciplines, systems, mission areas, or methods.
• Established education, skills, and experience demonstrating the ability to apply significant technical judgment to broad challenges requiring integration across related systems or methods.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects or major workstreams and deliver complex technical outcomes.
• Experience evaluating trade-offs, recommending paths forward, and adapting technical approaches to evolving project needs.
• Demonstrated mentorship, collaboration, and ability to communicate recommendations, risks, and technical findings to varied audiences.
• Experience contributing to technical reports, papers, presentations, proposals, or other formal technical deliverables.

Level 6 – Technical Staff

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 8+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 6+ years of relevant experience; or PhD and typically 2+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Deep and diverse technical expertise with demonstrated ability to integrate knowledge across domains and establish direction in evolving systems or mission areas.
• Established education, skills, and experience demonstrating the ability to incorporate technical judgment, program context, and stakeholder input to solve broad technical challenges.
• Proven experience leading complex programs, significant program elements, or multi-team technical efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate alternatives, manage technical ambiguity, and influence decisions across teams or stakeholder groups.
• Strong record of mentorship, collaboration, technical communication, and contribution to team or Group capability development.
• Experience contributing to proposals, publications, technical reports, presentations, or other materials that shape program direction or technical initiatives.

Additional Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with controls systems, particularly with a focus on adaptive optics or tracking,
• Demonstrated experience with systems analysis and modeling, particularly with understanding and analyzing atmospheric turbulence effects
• Experience with integration and test as well as troubleshooting complex problems
• Experience with MATLAB or other analysis tools relevant for systems analysis
• Experience with free space optical communications hardware
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Willingness to work in a team environment

Hiring Range:$140,000 - $187,000
Hiring Range 2: $155,000 - $207,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT-funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.