Associate/Senior Optical Engineer, R&D

Arcadia Science•Emeryville, CA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

We are hiring an Optical Engineer at the Associate or Senior level to join Arcadia's research team. This role is for an optical scientist with a demonstrated aptitude for developing novel measurement techniques, capable of identifying the limits of existing optical tools and inventing new ones to address them. Optical instrumentation is central to how we study living systems, with current work spanning spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, coherent Raman imaging (SRS and CARS), and live-cell microscopy of diverse organisms. We favor label-free modalities for broader applicability and data comparability across biological systems, and we invent tools with affordability and usability in mind. The Optical Engineer will contribute directly to the scientific program by innovating on optical approaches and collaborate with the product development team to transform new technologies into professionalized tools. Scalability should be a design consideration from the outset.

Requirements

PhD in optical engineering, physics, applied physics, or a closely related field.
At least 2 years experience in an industrial or start-up environment.
Hands-on experience designing and building optical systems.
Demonstrated aptitude for developing novel optical techniques or instrumentation.
Proficiency writing code for instrument control, data acquisition, or quantitative analysis.
Ability to work independently and communicate technical findings clearly to a scientific audience.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Raman spectroscopy (spontaneous, SRS, and/or CARS) or other label-free imaging modalities.
Experience doing research as a post-doctoral fellow.
Familiarity with fluorescence microscopy and the practical challenges of preparing and imaging live biological samples.
Experience with spectral or image analysis, including signal processing or machine learning methods.
History of open science contributions, including published code, open instrument designs, or non-traditional publication formats.

Responsibilities

Assess Arcadia's current optical capabilities in the context of our active research program and identify opportunities for new or improved approaches.
Design, build, and characterize new optical systems, working across hardware, acquisition software, and data analysis as needed.
Collaborate closely with Arcadia’s research scientists or external partners to understand experimental requirements and translate them into instrumentation solutions.
Contribute to computational and analytical pipelines for spectral and imaging data, including signal processing and ML-based approaches where relevant.
Create open source protocols and designs.