Optical Engineer III

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That’s our focus  ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers—literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission—your opportunity—is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you’re driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you’re ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

is known for the development and infusion of technologies that enable advanced flight sensors, instruments, and deep space communications. Our expertise spans the entire electromagnetic spectrum — from Radio Frequency (RF) through ultraviolet (UV). Our product line ranges from quantum technology and flight systems, imaging spectrometers, microwave radiometers, scientific radars, mass spectrometers and other in situ instruments, ground and space-based RF and optical systems, and innovative sensors.

We create novel material systems and fabrication techniques that unlock new concepts and mission architecture. We pioneer deep space communication theory, implement advanced communication systems, and develop navigational tracking to understand where we are and how to ensure robust engineering and science data return.

provides world-leading capability and expertise in a wide range of technologies that are crucial to the development of optical instruments. Section leadership and expertise are specifically applied to the development of sophisticated ground and space-based optical systems in the following areas: research and development of optics-related technologies; system architecture and concept definition; detailed optical system design for space-based and airborne systems, opto-mechanical design, analysis, and implementation;

optical hardware integration and alignment, test and calibration of optical instruments and systems.

We invite you to join the Optics and Spectroscopy Section to serve as an Optical Engineer III
. You will be reporting administratively to the Group Supervisor of the High Contrast Imaging Group
. This group specializes in the development of high-contrast corona graphic systems for direct imaging of exoplanets including both internal coronagraphs and star shades. The group’s expertise includes design, operation, and maintenance of world-leading testbed facilities; design, integration, and testing of orbiting high-contrast instruments as well as ground-based observatory-class instruments; design of unique diffraction control components; development of wavefront sensing and control algorithms;

development and validation of precision optical propagation codes and post-processing algorithms; optical systems engineering including development of detailed error budgets.

The group also provides concept-to-implementation technical leadership and support for technologies ranging from precision metrology to long-baseline interferometry.
The High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) is the world’s foremost facility for demonstrating technologies capable of imaging and characterizing Earth-like exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. This facility was used to develop the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) and is being transformed into the development facility for the Habitable World’s Observatory (HWO). The success of the testbed and the HWO mission critically depends on the ability to accurately and efficiently model the physics of optical propagation through the systems.

These models must incorporate wavefront sensing and control algorithms and deformable mirror characteristics, polarization aberrations, and realistic representations of manufactured optics and masks.

• Lead the starlight suppression modeling and model…