Observable Space
Sr. Optical Engineer
$140K–$200K
Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid · Senior · Full-time · Posted Oct 5, 2026
- Experience
- 5+ years of experience working directly in a precision optical manufacturing environment.
- Education
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
About the job
Leads the development, manufacturing, metrology, and process control of large-format precision optics for advanced telescope systems.
What you'll do
- Develop and mature optical fabrication processes and custom metrology for large and complex components.
- Establish manufacturing process controls, analyze production data, and resolve defects and yield issues.
- Partner with design and manufacturing teams to qualify optics and transition processes into repeatable production.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years of experience working directly in a precision optical manufacturing environment.
- Hands-on expertise in optical fabrication, metrology, interferometry, and manufacturing process control.
- Experience manufacturing challenging refractive optics and translating optical requirements into manufacturing and inspection processes.
Nice to have
- Direct experience with refractive elements greater than 400 mm, custom large-optic metrology, or scaling processes into production.
- Experience with MRF, ion beam figuring, CNC polishing, optical coatings, supplier qualification, or optical design tools such as Zemax OpticStudio or Code V.
Pay
$140K – $200K USD base salary
Tools
SPC, MRF, ion beam figuring, CNC polishing, Zemax OpticStudio, Code V
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative