Senior Optical Engineer — Space Navigation Systems

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical, vision, dental coverage

Paid parental leave

Vacation and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer in Hawthorne, CA to own free-space optical system design for a navigation sensor combining a visible camera and IR sensing. You will lead optics, detectors, circuitry, mechanics, and enclosures to meet high-rate production goals.

You will mentor engineers, perform system trades, validate hardware, and collaborate with software teams to enable automated optical testing, while advancing mission-critical navigation capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, physics, or other engineering discipline.
• 5+ years hands-on experience in optics, photonics, imaging, infrared sensing, or related design/testing.
• 5+ years experience in a programming language (C++, MATLAB, Python).
• Preferred: Master’s degree or PhD; experience leading system-level trades and mentoring teams.

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 trades studies, ops concepts, 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 engineers; review designs and raise technical standards.
• Interface with manufacturing and supply chain to ensure designs are manufacturable.
• Perform and oversee verification testing including environmental qualification and reliability testing.
• Define and lead field testing of optical experiments and navigation sensor systems.
• Collaborate with software/automation teams to develop testing tools and protocols.

Skills

Optics design

Python

C++

MATLAB

Zemax

Education

Bachelor's degree in optical engineering or physics

Master's degree in physics or engineering

Tools

Zemax

Python scripting

C/C++

MATLAB

FPGA

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer in Hawthorne, CA to own free-space optical system design for a navigation sensor combining a visible camera and IR sensing. You will lead optics, detectors, circuitry, mechanics, and enclosures to meet high-rate production goals.

You will mentor engineers, perform system trades, validate hardware, and collaborate with software teams to enable automated optical testing, while advancing mission-critical navigation capabilities.