Principal Optical Engineer — Innovation Leader at Scale-Up

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with employer matching

PTO 20 days per year

13 holidays

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

Monarch Quantum seeks a Principal Optical Engineer to help build the foundation from the ground up in a fast-paced startup. You will work on cutting-edge technologies, collaborate with leadership, and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth.

You will independently and collaboratively execute complex optical engineering tasks, applying advanced ray tracing and Gaussian beam methods, and drive design decisions aligned to the product roadmap.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Deep understanding of laser beam propagation and optical design principles.

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 thorough documentation.
• Drive innovation in modeling, design, analysis, and alignment methods to support the product roadmap.
• Support project engineering with project scope, schedule, and risk analysis.

Skills

Laser propagation

Ray tracing

Gaussian beams

ABCD matrices

Optical layout

Optical metrology

Vendor engagement

Non-sequential design

Python

Fabrication tolerance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering or Physics

Tools

Ansys Zemax OpticStudio

Photon Engineering FRED

Lambda Research OSLO

Python tooling

Job description

Monarch Quantum seeks a Principal Optical Engineer to help build the foundation from the ground up in a fast-paced startup. You will work on cutting-edge technologies, collaborate with leadership, and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth.

You will independently and collaboratively execute complex optical engineering tasks, applying advanced ray tracing and Gaussian beam methods, and drive design decisions aligned to the product roadmap.