Senior Optical Design Engineer

Samson Rose; Los Angeles, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Samson Rose is seeking a Senior Optical Design Engineer to own end-to-end optical subsystems—from initial sketch and simulation through prototyping and flight-grade production hardware. You’ll be in the lab aligning, in the design review defending, and in the field watching performance.

If you want optics to matter in systems that ship, this is the role for you, with real ownership, real impact, and real hardware.

Qualifications

• 9+ years in optical design with nanophotonics or metasurfaces.
• Background in optical compute, laser communications, or 4D lidar.
• US citizenship with clearance eligibility; on-site full-time.
• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, or Electrical Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, modeling, and tolerance analysis of complex optical systems from concept to final release.
• Develop and validate optical architectures for laser-based and imaging systems.
• Own optical performance budgets and run trade studies across SWaP, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Build, test, and troubleshoot prototypes through flight and production hardware.
• Partner with Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, and Manufacturing for clean integration.
• Drive technical design reviews and mentor junior optical engineers.
• Support transition of optical designs from R&D into production at scale.

Skills

Optical design

Nanophotonics

Metasurface design

Optical phased arrays

4D Lidar

Hands-on prototyping

Laser systems

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Optical Engineering/Physics/Electrical Engineering

Job description

We're looking for a Senior Optical Design Engineer to take true end-to-end ownership of critical optical subsystems—from first sketch and simulation, through prototyping and test, all the way to production hardware flying on mission-critical platforms. This isn't a role where you hand off your design and wait to hear how it went. You'll be in the lab aligning it, in the design review defending it, and in the field watching it perform.

If you want your optics work to matter—not just on paper, but in systems that ship—this is that role.

What This Role Owns

• Lead the design, modeling, and tolerance analysis of complex multi-element optical systems, from concept through final release
• Develop and validate optical architectures for laser-based and imaging systems
• Own optical performance budgets and run trade studies across SWaP, cost, reliability, and manufacturability, balancing physics with what's actually buildable
• Build, test, and troubleshoot prototypes through flight and production hardware, hands-on
• Partner across disciplines - Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, and Manufacturing - to ensure clean system integration
• Drive technical design reviews and mentor junior optical engineers, shaping both the technical outcome and the next generation of optical talent on the team
• Support the transition of optical designs from R&D into production, closing the gap between "it works in the lab" and "it works at scale"

Candidate Profile

Must-Haves

• 9+ years of experience in optical design, with direct work in nanophotonics, metasurface design, or optical phased arrays
• Background in optical compute, laser communications, or 4D lidar, or a closely adjacent field
• Strong laser system and laser-based architecture experience
• Hands-on experience taking optical designs from prototype through production
• US citizenship with eligibility for clearance
• Willing and able to work on-site full time
• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field

Also Great to Have

• Experience supporting defense or aerospace programs
• Hands-on experience with optical testing, alignment, and metrology
• Prior technical leadership or mentorship experience

Why This Role

You'll have real ownership, real impact, and real hardware to point to. This is a chance to work at the leading edge of optical engineering, on systems that push the boundaries of what's possible in defense and aerospace, surrounded by a team that moves fast, cares deeply about getting the physics right, and wants to build things that actually fly.