Senior Optical Systems Architect - Navigation Sensor

Spacex; Hawthorne (CA); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock incentives

401(k) plan and benefits

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Optical Engineer to own free-space optical design for a visible-camera and IR navigation sensor. You will define requirements, lead architecture trades, and ensure manufacturability for high-volume production.

You will mentor engineers, validate hardware, and collaborate with software teams to develop automated testing tools and protocols for optical characterization.

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

Skills

Optical design

Photonics

C++

Python

MATLAB

Zemax

System architecture

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering/physics

Master’s degree or PhD in physics/engineering

Tools

Zemax

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Optical Engineer to own free-space optical design for a visible-camera and IR navigation sensor. You will define requirements, lead architecture trades, and ensure manufacturability for high-volume production.

You will mentor engineers, validate hardware, and collaborate with software teams to develop automated testing tools and protocols for optical characterization.