Senior Optical Engineer

About the Role

As a Senior Optical Engineer at Spectra-Physics, you will join our innovative laser product development engineering team to contribute to the next generation design and engineering solutions for free-space and fiber-based laser systems. You will work collaboratively within a project team and use your communication skills to work effectively with cross-functional team members.

Responsibilities

• Engineer laser oscillators, amplifiers, and harmonic conversion modules through experimentation and modeling into innovative products that solve our customers' most pressing challenges.
• Define test strategies, build, test, and document technical data on system prototypes, create reports, and design documentation for the product development team.
• Interact with mechanical, electrical, and software design teams to assist in the overall development of optical systems (may require device-level expertise).
• Contribute to the design of optical systems by specifying, selecting, and qualifying active and passive optical components, developing and benchmarking system performance models, developing and implementing test procedures, and evaluating and selecting appropriate test instrumentation.
• Conduct feasibility studies and testing on new and modified designs.
• Support design team members in the preparation of detailed design, design testing, and prototype fabrication.

Requirements

• BS degree and 4+ years of industry experience, MS with 2+ years of industry experience, or PhD in a related field.
• Hands-on experience in free-space beam and optical cavity alignment for CW and pulsed laser systems.
• Hands-on experience with diode-pumped pulsed solid-state lasers and amplifiers components, including Q-switch laser cavities.
• Hands-on experience with operating and characterizing acousto-optic and electro-optic modulators and pulse selectors.
• Ability to independently define opto-electronic measurement procedures, set up and perform the measurements, evaluate the results, and clearly communicate the conclusions to peer engineers and management.
• Ability to work self-directed and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with optical measurement instruments: beam parameters analyzers, power meters, auto-correlators, fast opto-electronics, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, spectrometers, and scanning interferometers.
• Laser cavity modeling and laser dynamics.
• Proven experience in product development and ability to transfer the design to production, with an emphasis on manufacturability and product life-cycle.
• Experience with Gaussian beam propagation software tools (ReZonator, Paraxia, and/or others).
• Familiarity with ray-tracing analysis software (ZEMAX, FRED, and/or others).
• Hands-on experience with harmonic generation and nonlinear crystals (SHG, THG, SFG) and modeling basic harmonic processes using SNLO, Matlab, and/or other suitable software tools.
• Experience with automated measurement and control methods (Python).

Pay

Salary Pay Range: $111,850 to $186,400 per year. This range is a good-faith estimate based on qualifications, experience, operational and business needs, and other considerations permitted by law.

This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision).
• 401(k) with company match.
• Life and disability insurance.
• 12 paid holidays.
• Sick time and 15 paid vacation days.
• 6 weeks fully paid parental leave.
• Adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement.

Note: MKS will not sponsor work visas for this position at this time.