Senior Optical Engineer, R&D

San Francisco. Posted 8 days ago

The role

You will lead optical design and investigations for hardware platforms. You will develop autonomous directed-energy systems.

Lead optical design and analysis for core system components.
Drive optical investigations, trade studies, and system-level design decisions.
Specify and evaluate optical components and subsystem architectures.
Partner with mechanical engineers on optical packaging, housing, and integration.
Perform tolerance analysis, validate performance, and guide design iterations.
Lead or support alignment, characterization, and testing of integrated optical systems.
Work with vendors and fabricators on manufacturability, tolerancing, and component feasibility.
Establish practical approaches for optical development, validation, and technical documentation.

5 to 10 or more years of senior-level experience in optical engineering, optical design, or related physics-based systems work.
Experience designing and analyzing optical systems built and operated as real hardware.
Experience with precision alignment, characterization, and hardware debugging.
Ability to apply optical theory from first principles and lead investigations.
Experience with optical components and subsystem architectures, vendor collaboration, tolerance analysis, and performance validation.
Experience collaborating with mechanical engineers on packaging, housing, and integration.
BS or MS in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

High-power laser optics, ruggedized beam delivery, beam directors, collimators, fast steering mirrors, adaptive optics, or laser communications terminals.
Experience with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V.
1-micron Yb fiber laser systems.

clera is a defense technology team developing autonomous directed-energy systems.