Senior Principal Laser Engineer

LightWorks Optical Systems • Warren, NJ

28d

About The Position

Coherent Aerospace & Defense Inc, Emerging Laser Subsystems Business Unit is seeking a Senior Principal Laser Engineer to lead the development of lasers for military applications. This laser expert will take a lead role in laser systems engineering, integration, and test, including serving as a chief engineer, directing a team of laser experts, supporting program development and capture and serving as a customer-facing expert.

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in optics, applied physics, physics or electrical engineering.
• Requires a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience with a Master's degree or 9 years of experience with a Ph.D. or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Experience substantially greater than these minima are highly preferred.
• Must have successfully developed complex laser systems and have broad and deep experience in solid-state laser design. Must be intimately familiar with the physics of rare-earth-doped lasers and amplifiers from the NIR to the SWIR, bulk-optic cavity design and their components and with the effects limiting laser performance.
• Must have extensive experience modeling solid-state lasers and amplifiers (e.g. gain shapes, noise figure, cavity designs, stability, dynamics).
• Must have experience working with potential customers, development program proposals.
• Must have experience serving as the primary technical representative on laser development programs.
• Must have experience constructing and tracking progress against detailed development plans.
• Must be a self-starter, able to multi-task, work independently under consultative direction and collaboratively in a matrix managed organization.
• Must have experience leading a group, delegating objectives and tasks to others to achieve goals.
• Must be able to work on significant and unique issues where analysis of situations and data requires evaluation of intangibles.
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and able to apply for a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing complex laser systems for military or space applications is strongly preferred.
• Experience with phased-gated developments and design for volume manufacturing is preferred.
• Experience with laser technology transfer, development of assembly instructions and low-rate initial production is desirable.
• Experience in Intellectual Property matters is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Chief Laser Engineer - provide optical engineering leadership for internally and externally funded development efforts, with a primary focus on the development of advanced diode-pumped solid-state laser development for military applications.
• New business development - support new business development efforts by interfacing with potential customers, partnering with new business development team, and selling team's capabilities.
• Customer interface - partner with program management and serve as the company's lead customer-facing diode-pumped solid-state laser expert.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Primary Metal Manufacturing
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees