Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer - Photonic Modules

Monarch Quantum; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401(k) with 4% employer matching

20 PTO days per year

13 paid company holidays

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

Monarch Quantum seeks a Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer to own the optical architecture of photonic modules and lead production strategy in a fast-growing startup environment.

You will drive design-for-production practices, manage cross-functional teams, and maintain rigorous budget, schedule, and risk controls while interfacing with executive leadership.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in optics, photonics, physics or closely related field.
• 10+ years in laser, photonic, or optoelectronic hardware development with module leadership.
• Shipped laser-based or photonic products from prototype to volume production.
• Deep hands-on DfX experience applied to optical or opto-mechanical packaging.
• Experience with cross-functional programs and leadership beyond your own projects.
• Access to export-controlled information; U.S. person status required.

Responsibilities

• Set optical and opto-mechanical architecture for photonics modules.
• Define budgets and tolerances for optical, thermal, and mechanical stability.
• Lead trade-offs across optical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal domains.
• Act as final escalation point for performance, yield, and reliability issues.
• Establish manufacturability, assembly, test, reliability, and cost standards (DfX).
• Define scalable assembly and alignment processes.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage schedules, budgets, risks.
• Present status and decisions to executive leadership.

Skills

Shipped laser-based products

DfX experience

Opto-mechanical design

Cross-functional leadership

Budget and schedule ownership

Technical escalation point

Education

MS/PhD in Optics, Photonics, Physics

Job description

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer – Photonic Modules. 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'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth.

At Monarch Quantum, Project Engineers are the technical owners of their modules. You’ll set the optical architecture and lead the program that takes it to production. As our Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer, you’ll be the senior technical authority for the laser and photonic modules that power our quantum systems, and you’ll shape how we design, qualify, and scale optical hardware across the company.

We’re looking for a laser physicist or optical engineer who has shipped laser-based products at volume, many times over, and wants to apply that experience to a frontier technology. You may come from telecom/datacom transceivers, lidar, industrial or medical lasers, semiconductor equipment, or a similar industry. You’ll work directly with executive leadership and build the engineering foundation that our hardware roadmap rests on.

What you’ll own:

Technical direction

• Set the optical and opto-mechanical architecture for our photonics module portfolio, including source selection, beam shaping and delivery, fiber coupling, alignment strategy, and wavelength, power, and polarization stability.

• Own the performance budgets that tie the modules to system requirements, including optical, tolerance, thermal, and mechanical stability budgets.

• Make and defend the critical trade-offs across optical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal domains, and influence system-level architecture and build-versus-buy decisions.

• Serve as the final technical escalation point for difficult performance, yield, and reliability problems, from the laser physics down to the assembly process.

Design for production

• Establish DfX (manufacturability, assembly, test, reliability, and cost) as a standard practice across photonic module programs, starting at concept.

• Define scalable assembly and alignment processes, including active and passive alignment, attach methods, and hermetic or environmental sealing.

• Drive design and process changes that improve first-pass yield, cycle time, and unit cost, and own the business case for each.

• Lead strategy for critical laser, optical, and opto-mechanical suppliers, including qualification, second-sourcing, cost reduction, and joint technical development.

Program leadership

• Own the integrated plan, phase-gate deliverables, and budget for your module programs; manage the critical path and raise risks early.

• Lead cross-functional teams spanning optics, mechanical, electrical, process, test, quality, and supply chain, largely through influence.

• Run design and gate reviews and drive decisions to closure with clear, documented rationale.

• Report program status, metrics, and key decisions to executive leadership.

• 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:

• MS or PhD in Optics, Photonics, Physics, or a closely related field, with deep expertise in laser physics or applied optics.
• 10+ years of industry experience developing laser, photonic, or optoelectronic hardware, including several years as the technical lead for modules or subsystems.

Skills:

• Shipped multiple laser-based or photonic products from prototype through qualification into sustained volume production.

• Deep hands-on DfX experience (DFM, DFA, DFT, DFR, design-to-cost) applied to optical or opto-mechanical packaging.

• Expertise in opto-mechanical design: tolerancing, alignment sensitivity, thermal and CTE effects, and attach and packaging methods.

• Track record of leading complex cross-functional programs while owning schedule, budget, and technical risk.

• Demonstrated influence beyond your own projects, such as setting standards, mentoring engineers, or shaping product or technology roadmaps.

• 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).

Preferred:

• Experience with narrow-linewidth, frequency-stabilized, or NIR/ visible/UV lasers.

• Experience with fiber-coupled modules, free-space micro-optics, or hermetic packaging.

• Experience with reliability qualification (for example, Telcordia GR-468 or equivalent) and statistical process control.

• Experience scaling hardware at a startup or early-stage company, building processes from scratch.

• Patents, publications, or recognized technical contributions in lasers or photonic packaging.

The expected annual salary range for this position is $175,000-$225,000.

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.