Optical Assembly and Alignment Engineer

Responsibilities

Assemble optical breadboards and optomechanical hardware from released layouts, drawings, bills of materials, and work instructions.
Install and align lenses, mirrors, polarization optics, and fiber-coupling assemblies to establish the required beam paths and subsystem interfaces.
Measure optical power, beam profile, polarization, and coupling performance; use wavefront measurements where required by approved test procedures.
Troubleshoot optical loss, clipping, alignment drift, and polarization errors; document findings and perform approved adjustments or rework.
Work with Optical Bonding Technicians to establish pre-bond alignment and verify that curing or fastening has not disturbed optical performance.
Maintain optical cleanliness, protect sensitive coatings, and follow approved handling and laser-safety practices throughout assembly and test.
Complete subsystem verification and maintain component, alignment, and measurement records; support resolution of optical issues found during system integration.
Learn first-of-a-kind methods alongside Engineering and improve repeat-build alignment instructions, fixtures, and assembly sequences with Manufacturing Engineering.

Experience & Education

BS in optics, optical engineering, physics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant optical-engineering experience; advanced degree preferred.
5+ years of hands-on optical assembly, free-space alignment, fiber coupling, and characterization of precision laser or photonics hardware.
Experience building from controlled optical layouts and recording repeatable measurements for subsystem acceptance.
Experience with neutral-atom quantum-computer optics, atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) laboratory systems, or precision scientific instrumentation preferred.

Qualifications

Strong practical knowledge of free-space beam alignment, polarization control, fiber coupling, and the relationship between component placement and optical performance.
Proficiency with optical power meters, beam-imaging cameras, and related bench metrology; wavefront-measurement experience preferred.
Ability to interpret optical layouts and optomechanical drawings and work safely with delicate coated optics.
Systematic troubleshooting and careful recordkeeping so another engineer can reproduce alignment and verification results.
Ability to work closely with bonding, verification, and integration teams; familiarity with measurement-data analysis or laboratory scripting preferred.
Capable of lifting and moving objects that weigh up to 25 pounds.