Senior Optical Engineer — Free‑Space Navigation Sensor

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) plan

Paid parental leave

3 weeks vacation + 10+ holidays

Job summary

SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, CA, seeks a Senior Optical Engineer (STARFALL) to own free-space optical system design for a visible camera and IR navigation sensor. You will set product vision at the system level, lead optics, detectors, and precision mechanisms capable of withstanding extreme loads and space environments.

You will mentor engineers, drive architecture trades, and collaborate with software and manufacturing teams to develop automated testing and robust hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, physics, or related field.
• 5+ years in optics, photonics, imaging, IR sensing, or related design/testing.
• 5+ years programming experience (C++, MATLAB, Python).

Responsibilities

• Define requirements for high-performance optical/IR navigation sensors in harsh environments.
• Lead architectural trades and design reviews across optical, IR, mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing domains.
• Mentor engineers; review designs and elevate technical standards.
• Interface with manufacturing and supply chain to enable high-volume production.
• Perform and oversee verification testing including environmental qualification and reliability testing.

Skills

Optical system design

Free-space optics

IR sensing

System-level architecture

Mentoring engineers

Verification testing

Education

Bachelors in optical engineering/physics

Master's/PhD preferred

Tools

Zemax

Python

MATLAB

C++

Job description

SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, CA, seeks a Senior Optical Engineer (STARFALL) to own free-space optical system design for a visible camera and IR navigation sensor. You will set product vision at the system level, lead optics, detectors, and precision mechanisms capable of withstanding extreme loads and space environments.

You will mentor engineers, drive architecture trades, and collaborate with software and manufacturing teams to develop automated testing and robust hardware.