Senior Optics Engineer

Space Kinetic · El Segundo, California

  • Senior
  • Full-time
  • $150,000 – $190,000
  • Posted 2026-08-20
  • Confirmed live on 25 September 2026

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Job description

A New Paradigm For Space Operations.

Who We Are:

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small number of) primary payloads attached to the bus – and unlock a "one-to-many" system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

What You'll Do:

We are seeking a Senior Optics Engineer to own the design, integration, and qualification of optical and optomechanical systems for our spacecraft and payload technologies. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who has taken complex optical hardware from early architecture through alignment, environmental testing, and flight-ready production.

Job Responsibilities:

• Own optical and optomechanical systems from requirements and architecture through detailed design, integration, qualification, and production.

• Design and analyze imaging, sensing, laser, infrared, or free-space optical systems using first-principles optical engineering.

• Develop optical prescriptions, performance models, error budgets, tolerance analyses, stray-light assessments, and system-level trade studies.

• Design and integrate lenses, detectors, mounts, baffles, windows, thermal interfaces, alignment features, and other precision optical hardware.

• Develop alignment, calibration, metrology, and automated test methods to characterize optical performance.

• Plan and execute environmental qualification, including vibration, shock, thermal-vacuum, and other mission-specific testing.

• Analyze test data, diagnose optical performance issues, lead anomaly investigations, and implement corrective design actions.

• Partner with mechanical, electrical, software, systems, manufacturing, and supplier teams to deliver manufacturable, flight-ready hardware.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.

• 7+ years of experience designing, integrating, and testing optical, imaging, photonic, infrared, or laser-based hardware.

• Demonstrated experience taking an optical or optomechanical assembly from concept through environmental qualification.

• Strong understanding of geometric and wave optics, optical aberrations, radiometry, tolerance analysis, and optical performance budgeting.

• Proficiency with Zemax, CODE V, or equivalent optical design and modeling software.

• Hands-on experience with optical alignment, calibration, and metrology, including methods such as interferometry, MTF, boresight, transmission, or stray-light testing.

• Experience with optomechanical packaging, precision mounting, athermalization, detector integration, and manufacturing tolerance flow-down.

• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, C++, or a similar language for optical modeling, test automation, and data analysis.

What We’d Love:

• Experience developing optical systems for spacecraft, satellites, defense platforms, airborne systems, or other high-reliability applications.

• Experience with infrared systems, free-space optics, laser communications, imaging payloads, star trackers, or pointing, acquisition, and tracking systems.

• Experience with optical coatings, windows, detectors, focal-plane arrays, thermal interfaces, or stray-light analysis.

• Familiarity with SolidWorks, NX, Creo, GD&T, and the design of precision optomechanical assemblies.

• Experience qualifying optical suppliers and transitioning optical hardware from prototype development into repeatable production.

• Experience developing hardware for high-vibration, shock, thermal-vacuum, radiation, or other demanding aerospace environments.

• Experience integrating optical systems into modeling and simulation environments in support of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) testing

Where You'll Be:

The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year).

What We Offer:

• Equity-Based Compensation

• 401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match

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