Optics & Camera Engineering Lead

Specter•San Francisco, CA

15h

About The Position

Specter is hiring an Optics & Camera Engineering Lead to own camera performance across its product portfolio. The role owns the imaging stack end to end, including sensor and lens selection, optical requirements tied to computer vision and machine learning (CV/ML) and customer outcomes, vendor and JDM programs, test campaigns and results analysis, and high-volume production. The lead collaborates with systems, software, CV/ML, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, supply chain, and test teams to deliver performant, scalable, validated camera and optical systems. The role spans benchmarking sensors and lenses; translating detection, recognition, and license-plate recognition performance at range into pixel-density, MTF, and low-light targets; reviewing athermal lens designs; defining optical tests across temperature; and analyzing endurance testing. The lead also directs technical engagements with tier-one optics and sensor suppliers.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in optical, imaging, or camera systems engineering, with multiple camera products shipped to volume production.
Fluency across the imaging stack, from image-quality effects on CV/ML and end users to lens design, mechanics, and testing.
Deep knowledge of image sensors, lens design, and trade-offs among resolution, FOV, F-number, MTF, aberrations, depth of focus, and thermal stability.
Hands-on experience with optical simulation software such as Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V, or similar.
Track record specifying off-the-shelf and custom lenses with suppliers and making clear performance and cost trade-offs.
Athermalization experience covering mechanical design and optical performance across temperature, including focus shift and MTF drift.
Experience designing optical test equipment and running test campaigns, supported by rigorous data analysis.
Experience with NIR imaging and active illumination, as well as L/M/SWIR systems.
Experience taking hardware through NPI with contract manufacturers or ODM/JDM partners.
Ability to clearly communicate optical trade-offs to software, business, and customer-facing teams.
Proficiency with optical design software such as Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V, or equivalent.
Experience with Imatest or equivalent image-quality analysis tools.
Ability to use Python or MATLAB for test automation and data analysis.
Familiarity with MCAD tools such as SolidWorks for opto-mechanical review.
Computer vision fundamentals and tools such as OpenCV for image analysis, calibration, and evaluating model performance.
Linux command-line familiarity for sensor bring-up, data capture, and embedded-system scripting.
Knowledge of hardware reliability and test methods, including environmental qualification, accelerated life testing, FMEA, and failure analysis.

Nice To Haves

Outdoor, automotive, or security camera experience, including sealing, condensation, window cleaning, and environmental qualification.
Experience with active alignment and high-volume camera module manufacturing.
Experience with PTZ, zoom/focus optics, panoramic or multi-camera systems, and camera calibration for computer vision.
EO/IR thermal imaging experience.
Familiarity with GMSL/FPD-Link camera interfaces and ISP tuning.
Laser illumination and eye-safety certification experience.
Experience leading engineers and cross-functional technical programs.

Responsibilities

Evaluate and select image sensors, comparing low-light performance, pixel size, resolution, frame rate, HDR, supply life, and cost.
Select off-the-shelf lenses or specify custom designs matched to sensors, considering field of view, F-number, MTF, NIR correction, distortion, relative illumination, and athermal behavior.
Evaluate ISP architectures and drive ISP tuning and imaging-pipeline development for day and NIR night modes.
Benchmark sensor and lens candidates in laboratory and field settings, and maintain a qualified roster of sensors, lenses, and IR-cut filters.
Translate customer use cases and CV/ML performance into camera requirements, including pixel-density frameworks such as IEC 62676-4 DORI.
Run coverage and range trade studies across resolution, FOV, mounting height, pixel density, IR range, inference load, power, and cost.
Define optical performance targets and connect them to measured model precision and recall at distance.
Design and run real-world field test campaigns across sites, lighting, and weather; analyze model and image-quality data to quantify customer impact and guide design decisions.
Own optical performance specifications for fixed, multi-camera, panoramic, and PTZ products.
Integrate sensors, lenses, IR-cut filters, and mounts into camera systems that meet specifications across operating conditions.
Drive athermal design to maintain focus and MTF across operating ranges, accounting for solar loading, IR-cut filters, lens mounts, flange CTE, humidity, and pressure.
Specify NIR illumination matched to lens FOV, including frame-synced strobing, eye safety, thermal limits, and internal-reflection control.
Guide window, coating, heater, wiper, and sun-shade design for long-term outdoor optical performance.
Use optical simulation to evaluate concepts and review supplier prescriptions.
Own the technical content of camera-module and complete-camera-system RFPs and evaluate proposals for performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
Lead technical work with optics suppliers and ODM/JDM partners on lens selection and design, active alignment, and production testing.
Lead design reviews and gate criteria from design through EVT, DVT, and PVT.
Develop the optical lab and its capabilities, including collimators, MTF testing, focus-through-temperature, flare and stray-light, low-light SNR, IR-range, and FOV/distortion measurement.
Design and qualify optical test equipment for development, reliability, and manufacturing, with documented gauge R&R.
Plan and run laboratory reliability and qualification campaigns covering thermal, humidity, condensation, solar loading, ingress, cleaning, coating endurance, and field life; analyze results and drive decisions.
Define calibration data and production acceptance tests at contract manufacturers.
Take camera systems from concept to volume production with partners and contract manufacturers, driving design for manufacturability, automated focus and alignment, and yield.
Partner with embedded imaging engineers on sensor bring-up, driver integration, and production day/night switching.
Mentor engineers across camera, image quality, test, and manufacturing engineering.
Track emerging imaging technologies and recommend areas for Specter to invest.