Optical Engineer III

JPL/NASA•Pasadena, CA

3d•$152,880 - $188,448•Onsite

About The Position

The Instruments and Communications Division at JPL is renowned for developing and integrating technologies that advance flight sensors, instruments, and deep space communications, covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Their expertise includes quantum technology, flight systems, imaging spectrometers, microwave radiometers, scientific radars, mass spectrometers, RF and optical systems, and innovative sensors. They also pioneer deep space communication theory and develop navigational tracking. The Optics & Spectroscopy Section specifically excels in optical instrument development, including research, system architecture, optical and opto-mechanical design, analysis, implementation, and alignment, testing, and calibration of optical instruments and systems. This role is within the Optical Engineering group, which focuses on designing and developing optical systems for planetary probes, earth observing remote sensing systems, and in situ sensing systems (telescopes, cameras, and spectrometers). The Optical Engineer III will contribute to the design and analysis of telescopes, spectrometers, and cameras, and will be involved in tolerancing, analyzing, and aligning these systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Optics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with a minimum of 6 years of related experience, or Master’s degree in a related discipline with a minimum of 4 years of related experience, or PhD in a related discipline with a minimum of 2 years of related experience.
Experience ray tracing in CODE V or Zemax.
Practical experience in hardware integration, optical alignment, or state-of-the-art measurement techniques.
Demonstrated ability in written and verbal communication including presenting science, engineering, and project results.
Demonstrated ability to interact cooperatively with co-workers.

Nice To Haves

Experience with space optics.
Experience making optical error budgets.
Experience managing contracts and hardware procurement involving industrial vendors.
Experience post-processing results from CODE V or Zemax using CODE V macro language, ZPL, Python, and/or Matlab.
Experience in specialized optical modeling such as thin film design, lens design, polarization optics, or straylight.
Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the design and analysis of telescopes, cameras, and imaging spectrometers.
Participate in tolerancing, analyzing, and aligning novel telescopes, spectrometers, and cameras.
Support development for various optical instruments being built within the Section.