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Impulse Space · 1 day ago

Senior Optical Systems Engineer

Redondo Beach, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$155K/yr - $185K/yr

5+ years exp

Impulse Space is a company focused on spacecraft manufacturing, and they are seeking a Senior Optical Systems Engineer to lead the design and development of optical systems for laser communication terminals. The role involves collaborating with various engineering teams to ensure the optical subsystem meets performance goals and to drive the optical architecture from concept through testing and flight.

AerospaceManufacturingSpace Travel

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Design and analyze the FSO optical head (transmit/receive telescope and fine-steering mirror system) to achieve high Strehl ratio and throughput under space environment conditions. Use industry-standard optical design software (e.g. Zemax OpticStudio, Code V) to develop and optimize optical layouts, including the beam expansion optics and fast steering elements

Integrate opto-mechanics for space: Work closely with mechanical engineers to co-develop opto-mechanical mounts and structures, incorporating athermalization, thermal control, and vibration damping. Perform tolerance analyses for manufacturing, alignment, and thermoelastic effects to ensure the optics remain aligned and focused through launch and on-orbit thermal

Stray light and contamination control: Implement baffles, coatings, and stray-light analysis to minimize background noise. Establish contamination control requirements (cleanliness, purge, etc.) and design the optical system and enclosure to maintain performance in a harsh space environment (preventing fogging, pollution, etc.)

Optical alignment and test: Develop optical alignment procedures and specify metrology tools (alignment telescopes, interferometers, wavefront sensors) needed for assembly and integration. Perform hands-on alignment and characterization of optical sub-assemblies on the bench, verifying that assembled optics meet pointing accuracy and wavefront error requirements

System bring-up and prototyping: Create rapid prototype optical setups (e.g. benchtop experiments with commercial optics) to validate concepts early. Later, support rigorous environmental testing (vibration, thermal-vacuum) of the flight optical hardware, analyzing test data to confirm performance and adjust the design as needed

Cross-team collaboration: Provide technical input on overall FSO system development from an optical perspective, such as advising on fiber-interface requirements to the photonic transceiver and pointing sensor placement. Collaborate with the Acquisition/Tracking and Photonics engineers to ensure seamless integration of the optics with control sensors and the communication payload

Qualification

Optical system designZemax OpticStudioOpto-mechanical designOptical metrologyGaussian opticsStray light analysisThermal managementVibration testingProblem-solving skillsTeam leadershipCommunication skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

5+ years of experience designing, analyzing, and testing complex optical systems (e.g. telescopes, lenses, or optical instruments)

Proficiency with optical design/analysis software such as Zemax OpticStudio or Code V for lens/telescope

Strong understanding of Gaussian optics, diffraction, and wavefront error budgeting

Demonstrated experience building, aligning, and validating optical hardware in a lab or production environment

Familiarity with opto-mechanical design principles and ability to lead mechanical engineers on mounting, thermal management, and packaging of optical components

Proven ability to design ruggedized optical systems for harsh environments (vibration, thermal extremes)

Excellent problem-solving skills in optics (ray tracing, aberration analysis, tolerancing). Ability to clearly document designs, write test plans, and communicate results

Preferred

M.S. or Ph.D. in Optics, Physics, or related discipline, with a focus on optical system design or photonics

Experience designing space-based optical systems or flight hardware (e.g. satellite telescopes, optical payloads), including knowledge of thermal-vacuum, radiation, and launch environment constraints. Familiarity with structural-thermal-optical performance (STOP) analysis tools like SigFit for predicting optical performance under

Experience with fine steering mirrors or fast tip-tilt platforms for beam stabilization. Understanding of line-of-sight jitter control and ultra-fine pointing requirements (sub-micro-radian regimes)

Proficiency with stray-light modeling or analysis (FRED or similar), and designing baffle systems or coatings to suppress stray illumination

Strong hands-on skills with optical metrology and test equipment – e.g. interferometers (for wavefront measurement), beam profilers, alignment telescopes, optical spectrum analyzers. Experience setting up optical test beds, long-path collimators, or vibration test fixtures for optical assemblies is a plus

Familiarity with laser communications or fiber-optic communication fundamentals – for example, understanding how fiber coupling, polarization, and beam quality impact link performance. Experience bridging free-space optical systems with fiber optics is beneficial

Self-driven and capable of leading the optical subsystem development with minimal guidance. Prior experience leading a small team or project in optical or photonic hardware development is a plus. You should be comfortable taking ownership of the optical architecture and mentoring others as needed

Space/aerospace experience is highly preferred (designing optics for satellites, spacecraft, or aircraft). However, candidates with strong experience in terrestrial free-space optical links or fiber-optic telecom hardware in demanding environments are also encouraged to apply – the ability to harden such systems for space is highly valued