Lead, Optical Engineering - Stray Light

Lead, Optical Engineering – Stray Light

About the Organization

The organization is a leading aerospace and defense technology company developing advanced electro-optical, imaging, sensing, and space-based systems. Its engineering teams work on mission-critical technologies that support complex defense and aerospace applications, with a strong focus on innovation, system performance, reliability, and end-to-end product development.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Lead Optical Engineer – Stray Light to support the design, analysis, development, integration, and verification of advanced optical and electro-optical systems for aerospace and defense applications.

This role focuses heavily on stray light analysis, optical system modeling, radiometric performance, and non-sequential optical evaluation for active and passive imaging systems. The engineer will assess how scattering, ghosting, throughput, contamination, and other optical effects influence overall system performance.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in optical engineering and complex imaging or sensing systems, along with hands-on experience taking optical systems through design, test, integration, and verification. The role involves close collaboration with optical, mechanical, electrical, systems, software, manufacturing, suppliers, and program teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead or support optical engineering activities for advanced imaging, sensing, and electro-optical systems.
  

• Develop non-sequential stray light and radiometric models for active and passive imaging systems.
  

• Analyze scattering, ghosting, optical throughput, and stray light performance for space-based payloads.
  

• Perform optical performance analysis covering wavefront error, line of sight, distortion, focus, focal length, image quality, and related metrics.
  

• Conduct end-to-end analyses connecting optical design characteristics to mission-level image quality, signal-to-noise, and sensitivity.
  

• Identify stray light sources and develop mitigation strategies.
  

• Support optical design trades involving baffles, stops, surface treatments, contamination control, and alignment strategies.
  

• Evaluate optical performance throughout integration, testing, and environmental exposure.
  

• Develop and review test plans, procedures, error budgets, verification documentation, design review materials, and technical reports.
  

• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to ensure optical designs are manufacturable, testable, and properly integrated.
  

• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of optical performance issues.
  

• Support hardware builds, laboratory demonstrations, integration activities, and verification campaigns.
  

• Interface with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and external partners to coordinate technical execution.
  

• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation plans.
  

• Mentor junior optical engineers and provide technical guidance.
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 9+ years of relevant experience, or Master's/graduate degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
  

• In lieu of a degree, 13+ years of relevant experience.
  

• 2–3 years of experience using optical stray light analysis tools such as FRED.
  

• Ability to obtain a federal security clearance.
  

• Strong background in optical engineering, imaging systems, or electro-optical systems.
  

• Experience with optical modeling, analysis, testing, and verification.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance.
  

• Experience with space-based EO/IR subsystems through design, manufacturing, integration, testing, and sell-off.
  

• Experience with optical metrology equipment, including:
  

  • Interferometers
    

  • Autocollimators
    

  • Laser trackers
    

  • Phase retrieval techniques
    

• Familiarity with Zygo Mx and QED.NET.
  

• Experience with Code V or Zemax OpticStudio.
  

• Experience with EO/IR space-based payloads, vehicle systems, or high-performance imaging systems.
  

• Experience with MATLAB and Python.
  

• Knowledge of optical scatter mechanisms and BSDF/BRDF concepts.
  

• Experience with ghost-path analysis and stray-light mitigation.
  

• Understanding of how optical design decisions affect system-level performance.
  

• Ability to architect an end-to-end space system and understand the complete product lifecycle.
  

• Experience supporting technology development programs, including project management, cost estimation, and schedule management.
  

• Strong technical communication and interpersonal skills.
  

• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering teams and leadership.
  

Key Must-Haves

1. 9+ years relevant optical engineering experience with Bachelor's degree, or equivalent experience.
   

2. 2–3+ years of FRED or comparable stray-light analysis experience.
   

3. Strong stray light / non-sequential optical modeling experience.
   

4. Experience with optical/electro-optical imaging systems.
   

5. Experience with scattering, ghosting, throughput, BSDF/BRDF, and stray-light mitigation.
   

6. Experience supporting design, integration, testing, and verification.
   

7. Ability to obtain a federal security clearance.
   

8. Space-based EO/IR or high-performance imaging experience is strongly preferred.
   

9. Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V experience preferred.
   

10. MATLAB/Python experience preferred.