Chief Engineer (Optical Comms)
Hybrid (Palo Alto, CA)$180k - $220kFull-timePosted 4w ago
About the role
Chief Engineer (Optical) leads optical communications for Apolink's LEO data relay constellation. Owns optical architecture, link design, requirements, verification, and acts as the sole optical authority in a hands-on, vendor-facing role.
Responsibilities
- Own optical ISL and feeder-link architecture: wavelength plan, modulation and coding, aperture and divergence sizing, data rate vs range tradespace.
- Develop and maintain end-to-end optical link budgets, including coherent receiver sensitivity, PAT margin, platform jitter, point-ahead, Doppler, stray light, fade statistics, and BER against realistic FEC.
- Author optical requirements and ICDs, and manage flowdown to the vendor and to internal bus, flight software, and ground teams.
- Direct the vendor technically: down-select, diligence, SOW and NRE scoping, design review participation, and accountability for performance and schedule.
- Adjudicate R&D direction with the vendor; what warrants NRE investment, what is technically unviable, what we buy versus co-develop.
- May lead a ZR-800G-class coherent transceiver NRE with the optical terminal.
- Maintain compliance with applicable standards, including CCSDS O3K and SDA OCT where relevant to federal programs.
Qualifications
- Direct, hands-on experience with LEO-LEO optical inter-satellite links: designing, building, or verifying crosslink terminals between spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
- 6+ years in free-space optical communications, coherent optical transport, or spaceborne photonics.
- MS or PhD in optics, EE, or physics, or equivalent demonstrated depth.
- Demonstrated experience directing vendor technical performance and NRE programs.
- Capacity to exercise independent technical judgment as the sole optical authority and be accountable for it.
Skills
Required:LEO-LEO optical inter-satellite linksOptical link budgetingOptical requirements and ICDsVendor management
Benefits
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Meaningful early-stage equity
- Opportunity to own optical for a constellation end to end
- Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), relocation assistance
Last updated Sep 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Apolink
24/7 satellite connectivity in low Earth orbit
Apolink is building the world’s most interoperable satellite relay network in low Earth orbit. Our hybrid communication architecture combines RF and optical inter-satellite links to enable real-time, continuous connectivity for satellite operators across industries.
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