Optical Engineer

Booz Allen Hamilton•Usa, VA

About The Position

Booz Allen is seeking an Optical Engineer to provide optical technical expertise in support of testing state-of-the-art directed energy weapon systems for the U.S. Navy and other Department of War entities. The role uses experience in optics and lasers to support electro-optic (EO) component testing and the development and integration of optical systems, with the goal of enhancing warfighter capabilities. The engineer will work in laboratory settings to design test setups and plans, record data, and report results. The position involves optical test equipment, alignment of optical components and opto-mechanics, laser systems, EO sensors, image processing, and collaboration across engineering specialties. Applicants must be able to obtain a Secret clearance. A bachelor's degree in optics, physics, or electrical engineering is required; a master's degree in a related field is preferred and a doctorate is a plus.

Requirements

5+ years of experience with optical test equipment, such as oscilloscopes, power meters, photodiodes, detectors, interferometers, wavefront sensors, spectrometers, or beam profilers.
5+ years of experience aligning optical components, cameras, lasers, or opto-mechanics.
3+ years of laboratory experience, including designing test setups, developing test plans, recording data, and reporting results.
Experience with laser systems, including gain media, pump sources, thermal management and control, opto-mechanics, optical coatings, substrates, characterization and specification, beam shaping, or beam control.
Experience with image processing for object tracking, detection, recognition, and identification, and with testing EO sensors for integration into a weapons system.
Knowledge of major laser-system components and integration, including the optical train.
Ability to collaborate across engineering specialties, including mechanical, optical, and software, in the development of optical systems.
Ability to learn, adapt, and assist in testing high-priority weapons systems in a professional environment.
Ability to obtain a Secret clearance.
Bachelor's degree in optics, physics, or electrical engineering.

Nice To Haves

10+ years of experience working with U.S. Navy or other military-service laser and EO systems.
5+ years of experience with high-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems, including fiber laser technology.
5+ years of experience with ISR EO technology development, analysis, test and evaluation, and platform integration.
Experience with design and analysis software such as FRED, Zemax, WaveTrain, Solidworks, or MATLAB, including creating models for the design and layout of optical ISR systems.
Experience with pulsed lasers, fiber optics, free-space optics, nonlinear optics, spectroscopy, imaging and radiometric tools, or integrated photonics.
Experience analyzing HEL interactions with materials and components, laser propagation theory and experiments, and modeling and characterizing laser performance in relevant military environments and ranges.
Knowledge of practical problems associated with the design, building, integration, and testing of laser weapons systems.
Master's degree in optics, physics, electrical engineering, or a related field preferred; doctorate in one of these fields or a related field is a plus.

Responsibilities

Support testing of state-of-the-art directed energy weapon systems and electro-optic components.
Design laboratory test setups and develop test plans; record data and report meaningful results.
Align optical components, cameras, lasers, and opto-mechanics.
Apply expertise in laser systems and their components, including the optical train.
Contribute to image processing for object tracking, detection, recognition, and identification, and to testing EO sensors for integration into weapons systems.
Collaborate with mechanical, optical, software, and other engineering specialties in developing optical systems.
Learn, adapt, and assist in testing high-priority weapons systems in a professional environment.