Space Optical Engineer - Beam Expander & Systems Design

Star Catcher; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Star Catcher in Jacksonville, FL is seeking an Optical Engineer to design beam expanders and space-based optical systems. You will perform rigorous optical design, tolerance analysis, and beam-propagation modeling to meet stringent mission requirements.

You will collaborate with mechanical and thermal engineers, align optics in the lab, and address high-power considerations to ensure robust, flight-ready hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Optics, Physics or related field.
• 3+ years of optical design or laser-system experience.
• Experience with high-power laser optics is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design reflective beam expanders for space-based laser applications under design lead guidance.
• Perform optical design, optimization, and tolerancing to meet beam specs and wavefront quality.
• Model beam propagation from laser source to target including Gaussian/M2 effects and wavefront impact on irradiance.
• Create WFE budgets and track predicted vs measured performance.
• Produce component specs, drawings and BOMs; support vendor selection and inspection.
• Collaborate with opto-mechanical and thermal engineers on mounts and thermal sensitivity.

Skills

Optical design

Laser-system experience

Beam propagation

Optical alignment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering/Optics/Physics

Tools

Zemax OpticStudio

CODE V

Job description

Star Catcher in Jacksonville, FL is seeking an Optical Engineer to design beam expanders and space-based optical systems. You will perform rigorous optical design, tolerance analysis, and beam-propagation modeling to meet stringent mission requirements.

You will collaborate with mechanical and thermal engineers, align optics in the lab, and address high-power considerations to ensure robust, flight-ready hardware.