Senior Optics Engineer

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible,attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on.

Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small number of) primary payloads attached to the bus – and unlock a "one-to-many" system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week.

Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, anda high levelof commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

We are seeking a Senior Optics Engineer to own the design, integration, and qualification of optical and optomechanical systems for our spacecraft and payload technologies. This is a hands‑on role for an engineer who has taken complex optical hardware from early architecture through alignment, environmental testing, and flight-ready production.

• Own optical and optomechanical systems from requirements and architecture through detailed design, integration, qualification, and production.
• Design and analyze imaging, sensing, laser, infrared, or free-space optical systems using first-principles optical engineering.
• Develop optical prescriptions, performance models, error budgets, tolerance analyses, stray-light assessments, and system-level trade studies.
• Design and integrate lenses, detectors, mounts, baffles, windows, thermal interfaces, alignment features, and other precision optical hardware.
• Develop alignment, calibration, metrology, and automated test methods to characterize optical performance.
• Plan and execute environmental qualification, including vibration, shock, thermal-vacuum, and other mission-specific testing.
• Analyze test data, diagnose optical performance issues, lead anomaly investigations, and implement corrective design actions.
• Partner with mechanical, electrical, software, systems, manufacturing, and supplier teams to deliver manufacturable, flight‑ready hardware.

• Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of experience designing, integrating, and testing optical, imaging, photonic, infrared, or laser-based hardware.
• Demonstrated experience taking an optical or optomechanical assembly from concept through environmental qualification.
• Strong understanding of geometric and wave optics, optical aberrations, radiometry, tolerance analysis, and optical performance budgeting.
• Proficiency with Zemax, CODE V, or equivalent optical design and modeling software.
• Hands‑on experience with optical alignment, calibration, and metrology, including methods such as interferometry, MTF, boresight, transmission, or stray-light testing.
• Experience with optomechanical packaging, precision mounting, athermalization, detector integration, and manufacturing tolerance flow-down.
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, C++, or a similar language for optical modeling, test automation, and data analysis.

• Experience developing optical systems for spacecraft,…