Senior Optical Engineer

Muon Space

Senior Optical Engineer developing infrared remote sensing instruments for Muon Space. Owning stray light control and analysis while driving hands-on R&D for optical components.

Posted 7/30/2026full-timeRemote • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $166,000 - $223,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in stray light analysis, optical coatings, and metrology for optical systems, with a strong focus on vendor management and technical specifications. Proficient in using advanced software tools for optical design and data analysis.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Stray Light AnalysisOptical Coatings DesignMetrology Equipment ProficiencyNon-Sequential Ray Tracing SoftwareVendor Management

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Stray Light AnalysisOptical CoatingsMetrology EquipmentThin-Film Coating DesignData AnalysisPythonMATLABFREDTFCalcLightTools

Tools & Technologies

SpectrophotometersScatterometersEllipsometersInterferometersOptiLayerEssential Macleod

Industry Keywords

Infrared Optical AssembliesEnvironmental DurabilityR&D InitiativesOptomechanical LayoutsTechnical Specifications

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

PythonRay

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Perform comprehensive stray light analysis using FRED to quantify and mitigate out-of-field stray light, scatter, ghosting, and thermal self-emission across complex infrared optical assemblies.
Specify and analyze custom optical coatings and surface treatments to maximize transmission/reflectance and manage environmental durability for our multispectral IR instruments.
Serve as the primary technical liaison with specialized optical component vendors.
Drive R&D initiatives to advance internal capabilities in novel coating technologies, filter survivability in harsh environments (e.g., TVAC, radiation), and advanced optical materials.
Define test plans using metrology setups (e.g., spectrophotometry, scatterometry/BRDF measurements) to verify vendor deliverables and characterize component-level spectral and scatter performance.
Partner with optical and mechanical designers to iterate and optimize baffle designs, surface finishes, and optomechanical layouts based on rigorous stray light analysis.

Requirements

What you’ll need

B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in an engineering or physics field, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of experience developing optical systems, specifically focused on stray light analysis, optical coatings, and component procurement.
Expertise in non-sequential ray tracing and stray light analysis software (e.g., FRED, LightTools).
Experience with thin-film coating design and analysis software (e.g., TFCalc, Essential Macleod, OptiLayer).
Proven track record of defining rigorous technical specifications for optical components and actively managing external vendors from concept through hardware delivery.
Hands-on experience with metrology equipment used to characterize optical coatings, filters, and scatter (e.g., spectrophotometers, scatterometers, ellipsometers, interferometers).
Software proficiency in one or more languages (e.g., Python, MATLAB) for data analysis, automation, and processing vendor test data.
Ability to obtain security clearance strongly preferred.

Benefits

Comp & perks

equity compensation
medical, dental, and vision insurance
401k retirement plan
short & long term disability and life insurance
three weeks paid vacation for new employees
12 paid holidays
unlimited sick time
paid parental leave