← All roles

Optical Engineer (Starfall)

SpaceX· Falcon and Dragon Avionics & Software Engineering
Apply on company site
Hawthorne, CA$135k - $170kfull-timePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Optical Engineer responsible for free-space optical system design, validation, and operation for a navigation sensor combining a visible camera and infrared sensing, with hardware and software responsibilities to enable high-volume production in a space environment.

Responsibilities

  • Apply optics and photonics knowledge to optical system development, including design, analysis, and validation of visible-camera and IR sensor architectures
  • Define requirements for high-performance optical/IR navigation sensors in challenging environmental conditions
  • Lead optical architecture definition through internal trade studies, concept of operations definition, and risk-reduction testing
  • Drive detailed trades across optical, IR, mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing constraints for high-volume production
  • Design next-generation optical/IR sensor hardware for high-rate manufacturing
  • Interface with manufacturing and supply chain teams to ensure final designs can be manufactured in accordance with overall project goals
  • Perform verification testing, including environmental qualification, performance characterization, reliability testing, and fault-injection testing
  • Define and lead field testing of optical experiments and navigation sensor systems
  • Review test data and lead anomaly investigation and resolution
  • Maintain performance budgets, design specifications, and system capabilities data
  • Collaborate with software and automation teams to develop tools and protocols for automated optical/IR testing

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, physics, or other engineering discipline
  • 2+ years of hands-on laboratory or work experience in optics, photonics, imaging, infrared sensing, or electrical/mechanical design or testing
  • 1+ years of experience in a computer programming language (e.g. C++, MATLAB, and/or Python)

Skills

Required:Optical design and system validationProgramming (C++, Python, MATLAB)
Nice to have:Zemax or similar optical analysis toolOpto-mechanical design and analysisEnvironmental qualification/testingManufacturing and high-volume production readinessCommunication

Benefits

  • long-term incentives, stock or long-term cash awards
  • discretionary bonuses
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • short and long-term disability insurance
  • life insurance
  • paid parental leave
  • paid vacation (3 weeks)
  • 10 or more paid holidays per year
  • paid sick leave per company policy
Last updated Aug 26, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About SpaceX

defense-aero-and-safetysetter-30setter-30-2026-q1wing-list-2026wing-list-2026-giga-stage
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at SpaceX