Specialist, Optical Engineer

Job Title:

Specialist, Optical Engineer Job

Location:

Palm Bay, FL OR Herndon, VA

Job Schedule:

9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked, and have every other Friday off  

Job Description:

Develop and validate quantum-photonic devices and subsystems that advance sensing, communications, and information processing. This role is intended for a recent graduate with knowledge of quantum physics, optics, or photonics developed through advanced study and research. As an individual contributor, you will take responsibility for assigned modeling, experiments, and precision measurements with minimal supervision while deepening technical proficiency and broader domain knowledge.

Working with multidisciplinary teams, you will improve existing technologies and help develop new capabilities for military, government, and commercial customers; prior industry or postdoctoral experience is not required.

Essential Functions:

Design, model, simulate, and analyze assigned quantum-photonic devices, components, and subsystem concepts, including photonic integrated circuit (PIC) components where relevant to the work.

Develop computational models and analysis methods to predict system behavior, evaluate performance, and guide experiments.

Plan and execute assigned laboratory experiments using optical, electronic, radio-frequency (RF), timing, or data-acquisition instrumentation appropriate to the task. Select and justify measurement approaches, and assess data quality, uncertainty, and observed behavior.

Apply quantum mechanics, optics, and engineering analysis to interpret results, validate models, and plan follow-on development.

Work with multidisciplinary teams to develop, integrate, and validate quantum-photonic designs at subsystem and system levels.

Document technical methods and results; support internal and external design reviews and Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to meet development milestones.

Take responsibility for the technical quality and reliable completion of assigned work with minimal supervision. Coordinate technical interfaces, provide guidance within your job area as needed, and deepen proficiency in your technical area while broadening knowledge of quantum and integrated photonics.

Qualifications:

To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing a graduate degree, with degree completion by the employment start date; or have completed a graduate degree within the last 12 months, regardless of age.

Preferred Additional

Skills:

Knowledge of quantum mechanics, optics, electromagnetics, or closely related analytical methods applicable to quantum-photonic technologies. Experience modeling, simulating, analyzing, or experimentally characterizing quantum, optical, or photonic systems. Prior industry experience, including internships, in quantum, optical, or photonic technology development involving modeling, developing, or testing quantum sensing, quantum communications, or quantum information-processing technologies.

Experience or capability in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics or solid-state quantum systems, including trapped-ion or neutral-atom systems, Rydberg electric-field sensors, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, or entanglement-enabled quantum systems.

Experience with laser systems, optical alignment, imaging, modulation, or pulse control.

Experience using Python, MATLAB, or comparable tools for scientific modeling or data analysis. Experience developing scientific software for quantum-system modeling, laboratory automation, or data acquisition. Comparison of predictions with experimental observations or analytical benchmarks to validate models and assess limitations.

Experience with optical, electronic, RF, timing, or data-acquisition instrumentation.…