Optical Engineer Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of hands-on experience in optical design, coatings, and optical metrology; aerospace or defense industry experience is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with thin-film design software such as FilmStar, Essential Macleod, or similar.
• Deep understanding of high-vacuum systems, thin-film growth mechanics, and material properties of oxides, fluorides, and metals relevant to space-qualified optics.
• Experience using optical characterization tools, including spectrophotometers, white-light interferometers, and ellipsometers.
• Familiarity with environmental durability testing, including humidity, abrasion, thermal shock, and adhesion testing under MIL-C-48497 or similar standards.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary, fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional technical collaboration.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
• Ability to work onsite in a cleanroom/manufacturing environment.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, U.S. permanent residents, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as refugees or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing coatings for space-flight hardware, satellite optics, or high-power laser systems.
• Familiarity with laser damage threshold testing for high-energy laser communication or directed-energy applications.
• Experience with automated coating platforms and chamber hardware customization.
• Knowledge of AS9100/ISO 9001 quality standards and implementation of statistical process control.
• Background in radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant optical materials.
• Experience with ASTM E595 outgassing testing and materials selection for vacuum environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and model multilayer thin-film optical coating stacks using industry-standard simulation software to meet spectral, thermal, and space-environment durability requirements for flight hardware.
• Develop, scale, and optimize physical vapor deposition processes, including e-beam evaporation, ion-assisted deposition, and ion beam sputtering, in high-vacuum chambers.
• Support environmental qualification testing, including thermal vacuum, vibration, and ASTM E595 outgassing testing, to verify aerospace-grade reliability and material outgassing standards.
• Test and analyze spectral performance with spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, and interferometers, verifying transmission, reflection, absorption, and laser damage threshold specifications.
• Diagnose coating defects, spectral shifts, and adhesion failures using data-driven methods, including Statistical Process Control, DOE, and Six Sigma, to improve yield and support low-defect production.
• Transition prototypes into full-scale manufacturing and author standard operating procedures, work instructions, and training documentation compliant with aerospace quality systems such as AS9100.
• Collaborate with systems engineers, mechanical designers, and mission assurance teams to integrate optical components into avionics, sensor suites, and payload systems supporting New Glenn, New Shepard, and Blue Moon programs.
• Support supplier qualification and define incoming inspection criteria for outsourced coating processes when applicable.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short- and long-term disability
• 401(k) with company match of up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
• Up to four weeks of paid time off per year based on weekly scheduled hours
• Up to 14 company-paid holidays
• Some employees may be eligible for bonuses, depending on role type and job level; amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed.