Senior Optical Engineer, Starshield Laser Communications

Starlink; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA, is seeking a Sr. Optical Engineer (Starshield) to design, validate, and operate free-space optical systems for national security applications.

You will lead optical architecture, coordinate trades, and drive tests from lab to field, contributing to laser communications and star-tracking technology. The role requires 5+ years in optics/photonics, programming in C++/Python/MATLAB, and a bachelor’s in a STEM field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, physics, or other engineering/STEM discipline.
• 5+ years of hands-on laboratory or work experience in optics, photonics, laser technology, or electrical/mechanical design or testing.
• 3+ years of experience in a computer programming language (e.g. C++, MATLAB, and/or Python)

Responsibilities

• Apply optics and photonics knowledge to optical system development, including design, analysis, and validation
• Represent the optical system in program-level, cross-disciplinary trades and issue resolution
• Define requirements for high-performant optical systems in challenging environmental conditions
• Lead optical architecture definition through internal trade studies, concept of operations definition, and risk reduction testing
• Participate in verification testing, including environmental qualification, performance characterization, reliability testing, and fault injection testing
• Define and lead field testing of optical experiments and laser communication systems
• Review test data and lead anomaly investigation and resolution
• Maintain link budgets, design specifications, and system capabilities data
• Interface with manufacturing and supply chain teams to ensure final designs can be manufactured in accordance with overall project goals
• Collaborate with software and automation teams to develop tools and protocols for automated optical testing
• Represent laser communications systems for reliability and risk discussions with internal reliability teams, management, customers, and vendors

Skills

Optics & photonics

Laboratory experience

C++

Python

MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's degree in optical engineering, physics, or STEM

Tools

Zemax

Job description

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA, is seeking a Sr. Optical Engineer (Starshield) to design, validate, and operate free-space optical systems for national security applications.

You will lead optical architecture, coordinate trades, and drive tests from lab to field, contributing to laser communications and star-tracking technology. The role requires 5+ years in optics/photonics, programming in C++/Python/MATLAB, and a bachelor’s in a STEM field.