Optical Engineer

Job Title: Optical Engineer
Duration: 3+ years
Client: Defense Research Lab
Location: Lexington, MA 02421

Description: Designs, models, analyzes, and tests optical, electro-optical, and opto-mechanical systems and components, including sensors, lasers, fiber-optics, and telecommunications products. Conducts research and development into phases of physical optics and geometric optics, lasers, laser characteristics, laser maintenance, and broadband optical sources. Applies research of complex optical systems to achieve desired optical outcomes. Develops component specifications, tolerances, simulations and tests procedures for electro-optical systems and components. Uses design-to-cost models, six sigma methodology, and other methods to assure and verify optical design requirements are met.

Background/Need: This is an Optical Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) Engineer role for one-of-a-kind complex prototypes for imaging, communication, and/or directed energy applications.

Responsibilities Involve:

• Planning and design in preparation for extensive assembly, integration, and test activities in laboratory clean rooms.
• Planning for optical system assembly, integration, and test: develop alignment approach, derive requirements, outline process flow, and develop any GSE needed.
• Working with mechanical and opto-mechanical engineers to create mounts and assemblies with needed degrees of freedom and adjustment resolution.
• Executing assembly and alignment of free-space and fiber-optic optical assemblies, including integration of sensors and performance characterization.
• Specifying custom optical components such as mirrors, lenses, and filters, assessing supplier capabilities, and inspecting/testing procured optics.
• Working with free-space optical tooling such as interferometer, polarimeter, laser beam profiler, alignment telescope, and/or autocollimator.
• Working with fiber optic cables and components, including test methods. Writing AI&T procedures, documenting build activities, and participating in troubleshooting and issue resolution.
• Running environmental test campaigns to characterize assemblies performance over operating and survival conditions (e.g, thermal cycling, altitude chamber, vibration, TVac).

Required Skills:

• Three-to-five years of optical AI&T experience
• Experience assembling, aligning, and testing refractive and reective optical components and systems.
• Working familiarity with optical alignment instruments such as interferometers, autocollimators, alignment telescopes, theodolites, prolometers and/or wavefront sensors.
• Broad understanding of optical fabrication techniques and shall be capable of evaluating vendors for custom manufacturing requirements.
• Experience performing incoming inspection on a variety of procured items and therefore needs a working knowledge of optical fabrication specications.
• Ability to work effectively with small multi-disciplinary teams of engineers and specialists with varying experience levels.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with optical design code (Zemax, CodeV etc) to establish component and alignment tolerances and/or troubleshoot any assembly s performance issues.
• Preference will be given to candidates who have the above experience with space systems and/or lasercom systems.

Others:

• Clearance: Candidate can start with an interim clearance but there is a STRONG preference for candidates with existing Secret (or Top Secret) clearances. Candidate will clear up to TS after onboarding.
• Work Location: Candidate will be 100% onsite to work in the Labs.
• Interview Process: initial prescreen via zoom/phone; then onsite interview for final round. The team will entertain a second-round zoom interview for candidates that are relocating for the position, but local candidates should plan for onsite interviews.