Senior Systems Engineer
Listed on 2026-02-16
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Engineering
Systems Engineer, Electrical Engineering
REPORTING TO:
Director of Product Development
LOCATION:
Westborough, MA
GENERAL FUNCTION:
The Senior Systems Engineer is responsible for the detailed system architecture, integration, and verification of microdisplay-based systems including weapon sights, head-mounted displays (HMDs) for portable, vehicle, and aviation platforms, surgical and medical visualization products, FPV first person viewing, and other near-eye display systems.
Kopin develops application-specific optical systems that combine high-performance microdisplays (LCD, OLED, FLCoS, micro
LED), custom optics, embedded electronics, and real-time processing for defense, enterprise, simulation/training, and medical markets. The Senior Systems Engineer defines, decomposes, and allocates system level requirements across electrical, optical, mechanical, and firmware subsystems.
This role independently executes trade studies, system integration, and performance verification to balance performance, SWaP, reliability, manufacturability, and cost. The Senior Engineer supports the full product lifecycle from early concept through prototyping, verification, and transition to production.
- Own system requirements from concept through production, including derivation from customer/market needs and flow-down to hardware, optics, mechanics, and software/firmware.
- Define and maintain system architectures, including functional block diagrams, subsystem partitioning, interface definitions, and configuration baselines for microdisplay systems and HMDs.
- Perform and contribute to design trade studies across optics (FOV, eyebox, brightness, contrast), electronics (processing, interfaces, power), mechanical packaging (thermal, shock/vibration), ergonomics, and human factors to converge on balanced system solutions.
- Produce and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), system-level design descriptions, FMEAs, risk registers, and verification matrices.
- Coordinate system integration of microdisplays (LCD/OLED/FLCoS/micro
LED), driver electronics, sensor suites (IMUs, cameras, eye-trackers, environmental), optics modules, mechanical components, harnesses, and external interfaces. - Develop and execute system verification and validation plans, including test plan creation, procedure development, and performance characterization across optical, electrical, mechanical, and environmental domains.
- Analyze system-level performance, including optical throughput, latency, power consumption, thermal margins, and reliability metrics; identify and drive corrective actions where necessary.
- Perform system-level debugging and root-cause analysis, collaborating with electrical, firmware, optical, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.
- Support customer-facing technical activities, including clarifying requirements, presenting trade study outcomes, and participating in technical reviews or demonstrations.
- Support transition to production, including manufacturability reviews, configuration management, and qualification testing support.
- Contribute to proposals, technical statements of work, and early concept development where system architecture definition is required.
- Bachelor’s degree in Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
- 8 years of experience in system engineering for complex electromechanical or electro-optical systems.
- Demonstrated proficiency in system requirements decomposition, system architecture documentation, and multidisciplinary integration.
- Experience developing verification plans and conducting system-level testing.
- Direct design and system integration experience across at least two major engineering domains (electrical, optical, mechanical, firmware).
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across cross-functional teams.
- Master’s degree in Engineering or related discipline.
- Experience with microdisplay systems, near-eye optics, AR/VR/HMD/HUD electronics, or imaging technologies.
- Familiarity with MIL-STD environmental requirements, ruggedized system design, or aerospace/defense customer expectations.
- Experience with modeling, simulation, or system analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, SysML/UML).Experience supporting transition from prototype to low-volume production.
- Able to rotate from sitting to standing, lift up to 20 pounds, and gown according to clean room protocol
Kopin Corporation is an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer and as such all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class. If an applicant needs a reasonable accommodation due to a disability with the application process, there is additional information on our website at
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