Senior Optical Amplifier Engineer – Advanced Photonics Systems

BLUE ORIGIN

. Lead the development of high-power, narrow-linewidth fiber amplifiers for spectral beam combining (SBC) and advanced photonics applications.

Posted 5/19/2026full-timeGreater Seattle Area • California, Colorado, Virginia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $144,179 - $219,522 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the development of high-power, narrow-linewidth fiber amplifiers for spectral beam combining (SBC) and advanced photonics applications.
Develop proof-of-concept fiber amplifier designs for cutting-edge free-space optical and advanced laser systems.
Support the design, fabrication, test, and characterization of prototype high-power fiber amplifier hardware.
Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team on thermal management, optical packaging, beam quality optimization, and automation of high-power fiber amplifier subsystems.
Interface with Supply Chain to identify and qualify suppliers for specialty optical components (pump diodes, gain fiber, fiber components, end caps, etc.) and support cost optimization.
Conduct engineering analysis and trade studies across amplifier architectures, power scaling approaches, and make/buy decisions.
Support vendor outreach and technical evaluation, including engagements with national labs and specialty optics suppliers.
Communicate technical updates and design decisions to cross-functional teams and program leadership.

Requirements

What you’ll need

A minimum of 7 years of experience in engineering roles supporting complex systems (e.g., high-power lasers, optics, photonics, or aerospace hardware).
A minimum of 5 years of experience in optics, photonics, and high-power fiber laser development projects.
Experience in the design and simulation of high-power, narrow-linewidth fiber amplifiers using Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier (YDFA) technology.
Experience with spectral beam combining (SBC) or coherent beam combining (CBC) architectures for high-power laser applications.
Knowledge of non-linear optical processes relevant to power scaling, including stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), four-wave mixing, and self-phase modulation, along with mitigation techniques.
Experience with large-mode-area (LMA) and polarization-maintaining (PM) optical fibers, including fiber handling, splicing considerations, and mode instability mitigation.
Knowledge of thermal management approaches for kW-class fiber amplifiers.
Experience with modeling and simulation of optical and fiber laser systems using industry-standard tools such as MATLAB, Mathcad, Zemax, RP Fiber Power, or equivalent.
Experience with high-power laser systems for aerospace applications.
MS in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short and long-term disability
401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays.
Eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

fiber amplifiersspectral beam combiningYtterbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiercoherent beam combiningnon-linear optical processesstimulated Brillouin scatteringstimulated Raman scatteringlarge-mode-area optical fiberspolarization-maintaining optical fibersthermal management

Soft Skills

collaborationcommunicationengineering analysistechnical evaluationcross-functional teamwork

Certifications

MS in Optical EngineeringMS in PhysicsMS in Electrical Engineering