Senior Optical Engineer – Space Instrumentation

Jet Propulsion Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 152,880 - 188,448; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Flexible schedule

Job summary

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California seeks an Optical Engineer III to design and analyze optical systems for planetary probes and remote sensing instruments. The role covers telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers, with emphasis on optical performance, tolerancing, alignment, and integration.

You will contribute to the development of multiple instruments within the Optical Engineering Group, collaborating across teams and leveraging CODE V or Zemax, Python, and Matlab for

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Optics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with 6+ years of related experience, or Master’s with 4+ years, or PhD with 2+ years.
• Experience in ray tracing with CODE V or Zemax.
• Practical experience in hardware integration, optical alignment, or advanced measurement techniques.
• Strong written and verbal communication, and cooperative teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers.
• Tolerancing, analysis, and alignment of optical instruments.
• Support development of optical instruments within the section.
• Work within the 364C Optical Engineering Group.

Skills

Ray tracing with CODE V or Zemax

Optical alignment

Hardware integration

Communication skills

Team collaboration

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Optics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree in a related discipline

PhD in a related discipline

Tools

CODE V

Zemax

CODE V macro language

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California seeks an Optical Engineer III to design and analyze optical systems for planetary probes and remote sensing instruments. The role covers telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers, with emphasis on optical performance, tolerancing, alignment, and integration.

You will contribute to the development of multiple instruments within the Optical Engineering Group, collaborating across teams and leveraging CODE V or Zemax, Python, and Matlab for