Senior Optical Engineering Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Specialist, Optical Engineering
Location: Rochester, New York, United States
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite – No Remote Work
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Seniority Level: Mid-Senior
Experience Required: 5–7+ years
Work Schedule: 9/80 Schedule
Security Clearance: Must be able to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance

The Senior Specialist, Optical Engineering will support the synthesis, definition, analysis, design, development, integration, and testing of advanced electro-optical systems for airborne and ground surveillance applications.

This position focuses on optical sensor system analysis and design, including the development of new optical sensor payloads for customer contracts and internal research and development (IR&D) programs.

The successful candidate will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams, including mechanical, electrical, software, and systems engineering, to develop optical solutions from initial product concepts through detailed design, fabrication drawings, integration, testing, and production release.

The role also provides optical engineering expertise to manufacturing operations, supports existing product designs, and contributes to product development proposals, engineering change orders, and lifecycle documentation.

This is a fully onsite engineering position based in Rochester, NY.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must meet one of the following education and experience combinations:

Option 1 – Bachelor's Degree

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience.

Option 2 – Graduate Degree

• Graduate degree in a related engineering or technical discipline.

• Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience.

Option 3 – Experience in Lieu of Degree

• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience.

Core Technical Requirements

• Optical engineering and optical system design experience.

• Experience with optical sensor system analysis and development.

• Experience supporting engineering design, integration, and testing.

• Understanding of optical engineering tools and procedures.

• Ability to provide engineering support to manufacturing and production.

• Experience preparing technical specifications, analyses, and engineering documentation.

• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Mathematical Analysis and Engineering Tools

Knowledge of mathematical analysis and engineering software, including:

• MATLAB.

• Mathematica.

• Mathcad.

2. Infrared Detectors

Understanding of infrared detector technologies and performance parameters, including:

• Well fill.

• Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC).

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

3. Radiometry

Understanding of radiometric concepts and measurement parameters, including:

• Radiant intensity.

• Noise Equivalent Irradiance (NEI).

• Related optical and infrared performance measurements.

4. Environmental Modeling

• Experience using MODTRAN to model relevant operating environments.

• Understanding of environmental effects on optical and infrared system performance.

5. EO/IR System Testing

• Experience with systems testing of electro-optical and infrared products.

• Optical integration and troubleshooting.

• Experience supporting system-level performance verification.

6. Hardware and Algorithm Integration

• Ability to work with algorithm developers.

• Understanding of how optical hardware and algorithms interact.

• Experience supporting integrated EO/IR hardware and software solutions.

7. Optical Manufacturing and Fabrication

• Knowledge of optical part fabrication processes.

• Understanding of optical component manufacturing and production requirements.

• Experience supporting design-to-manufacturing transitions.

8. Aerospace and Defense Engineering

• Experience engineering aerospace products.

• Understanding of stabilization, guidance, and control.

• Strong mechanical and geospatial comprehension skills.

• Experience with advanced airborne or ground-based surveillance systems.

9. System Modeling and Simulation

• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink.

• System modeling and simulation capabilities.

• Ability to analyze system performance and engineering trade-offs.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an experienced Optical Engineer with a strong background in electro-optical and infrared systems, optical sensor payload design, and engineering development.

Candidates with experience in aerospace and defense programs, IR detector technologies, radiometry, optical integration, and EO/IR testing will be particularly relevant.

The successful candidate should be comfortable working in a multidisciplinary engineering environment, supporting both product development and manufacturing operations, and contributing to complex optical system programs.