Clera Senior Optical Engineer leads optical system design and technical investigations for autonomous directed-energy defense systems. Collaborates with mechanical and electrical engineers to develop robust optical hardware.
Responsibilities
Lead optical system design and technical investigations for a defense technology platform developing autonomous directed-energy systems. You will partner with mechanical and electrical engineers to turn optical designs into robust hardware.
Lead optical design and analysis for core system components.
Run optical investigations and trade studies to guide system-level design decisions.
Specify and evaluate optical components and subsystem architectures.
Collaborate with mechanical engineers on optical packaging, housing, and integration.
Perform tolerance analysis, validate performance, and guide design iterations.
Lead alignment, characterization, and testing of integrated optical systems.
Work with vendors and fabricators on manufacturability, tolerancing, and feasibility.
Establish best practices for optical development, validation, and technical documentation.
Qualification
Experience with high-power laser optics
Required
5 to 10 or more years of experience in optical engineering, optical design, or related physics-based systems work.
Experience designing and analyzing optical systems built and operated as real hardware, including alignment, characterization, and hands-on debugging.
Ability to lead optical investigations and trade studies, apply optical theory from first principles, and make system-level design decisions.
Experience with optical component selection, vendor collaboration, tolerance analysis, and performance validation.
Mechanical fluency for effective collaboration on packaging and integration.
Experience with high-power laser optics, ruggedized beam delivery, beam directors, collimators, fast steering mirrors, adaptive optics, or laser communications is relevant.
Familiarity with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V and approximately 1 micron Yb fiber laser systems is useful.
Bachelor's or master's degree in optical engineering, physics, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Preferred
Familiarity with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V
Experience with approximately 1 micron Yb fiber laser systems
Experience with high-power laser optics and related technologies
