Senior Optical Engineer: Space Navigation Sensor (Visible+IR)

InvestedintheMission; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 285,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Principal Optical Engineer 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, boards, and mechanical enclosures for harsh space environments and high-rate manufacturing.

You will mentor engineers, drive architecture trades, analyze and validate hardware, and collaborate with software teams to develop testing tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, physics, or other engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of hands‑on laboratory or work experience in optics, photonics, imaging, infrared sensing, or electrical/mechanical design or testing.
• 8+ years of experience in a computer programming language (e.g. C++, MATLAB, and/or Python)

Responsibilities

• Drive product vision and system-level architecture for a visible‑camera and IR navigation sensor
• Apply optics and photonics knowledge to optical system development, including design, analysis, and validation
• Define requirements for high‑performance optical/IR navigation sensors in challenging environmental conditions
• Lead optical architecture definition through internal trade studies, concept of operations definition, and risk‑reduction testing
• Drive detailed trades across optical, IR, mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing constraints for high‑volume production
• Design next‑generation optical/IR sensor hardware for high‑rate manufacturing
• Mentor optical, electrical, and systems engineers; review designs and raise the technical standard of the team
• Interface with manufacturing and supply chain teams to ensure final designs can be manufactured in accordance with overall project goals
• Perform and oversee verification testing, including environmental qualification, performance characterization, reliability testing, and fault‑injection testing
• Define and lead field testing of optical experiments and navigation sensor systems
• Review test data and lead anomaly investigation and resolution
• Own performance budgets, design specifications, and system capabilities data
• Collaborate with software and automation teams to develop tools and protocols for automated optical/IR testing
• Communicate technical direction, risks, and recommendations to program leadership

Job description

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Principal Optical Engineer 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, boards, and mechanical enclosures for harsh space environments and high-rate manufacturing.

You will mentor engineers, drive architecture trades, analyze and validate hardware, and collaborate with software teams to develop testing tools.