Clera
Senior Optical Engineer, R&D
- Compensation
- $150K–$200K / yr
- From job posting
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, US
- Arrangement
- On-site
- Employment type
- Full-time
- Level
- Senior
- Posted
- 29 October 2026 (3 days ago)
Checked 2 days agoApplications go to the employer, never to RoleSprint
About this role
ABOUT THE ROLE
As a senior optical engineering specialist on a defense technology R&D team, you will lead optical design and investigations for autonomous directed-energy hardware. Your work will help turn optical concepts into robust systems built for real-world use.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Lead optical design and analysis for core system components.
- Run optical investigations and trade studies to guide system-level design decisions.
- Specify and evaluate optical components and subsystem architectures with vendors and fabricators.
- Collaborate with mechanical engineers on optical packaging, housing, and integration.
- Conduct tolerance analysis, performance validation, and design iterations.
- Guide alignment, characterization, and testing of integrated optical systems.
- Establish effective practices for optical development, validation, and technical documentation.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- Typically 5 or more years of relevant experience in optical engineering, optical design, physics, or related hardware engineering.
- Hands-on experience designing and analyzing optical systems that were built and operated, including aligning and characterizing precision optical hardware.
- Strong command of optical theory and experience debugging hardware and leading investigations from first principles.
- Experience with optical trade studies, component selection, subsystem architecture, tolerance analysis, and performance validation.
- Experience collaborating with mechanical engineers on optical packaging and integration.
- Familiarity with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V; experience designing high-power laser optics, ruggedized beam delivery, or beam directors is relevant.
- A BS or MS in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Base salary: $150,000 to $200,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
LOCATION
On-site in San Francisco, California, with range days.
Work location
- San Francisco, CA, US
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About this listing
Published on Ashby under the board identifier Clera, which is the name the employer’s own job board carries. RoleSprint has not verified the company’s registered or trading name, so it is shown exactly as published rather than tidied up.
RoleSprint is not the employer and not a recruiter. Applications are made on the employer’s own site and never reach us; what RoleSprint does is help you decide whether a role is worth your time and prepare for it if it is.
Published 29 October 2026, last checked 2 days ago. A posting stops being advertised here 90 days after the employer published it, and one the employer takes down is marked closed rather than quietly removed.