Optical Engineer - Pointing, Acquisition & Tracking (PAT) OpticsStar Catcher Industries, Inc., located in
Jacksonville, Florida, has an opportunity for an
Optical Engineer - Pointing, Acquisition & Tracking (PAT) Optics to support the development of space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network, its orbital power grid.
Key Responsibilities- Design the optical architecture of the pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) system, including fast steering mirrors (FSMs), tracking sensors (quadrant detectors and focal-plane arrays), beam splitters, boresight paths, and calibration sources; co-own PAT interfaces with the EE Senior Controls (PAT) engineer, who owns control algorithms and electronics.
- Develop line-of-sight (LOS) pointing and jitter budgets; allocate them to optical, mechanical, sensor, and control contributors; and track budget closure through test.
- Design tracking-sensor optics for acquisition and fine tracking, including return-based tracking of non-cooperative targets with unknown surface reflectance and orientation.
- Define transmit/receive boresight alignment, calibration, and on-orbit boresight maintenance approaches, including point-ahead where applicable.
- Specify and select FSMs and coarse-pointing optics; define pupil conjugation, angular range, and optical gain through the beam expander.
- Model tracking-sensor response (spot size, linear range, sensitivity, noise-equivalent angle) and work with controls engineers on loop design and sensor requirements.
- Own the optical side of the closed PAT loops: measure and calibrate optical loop gain (tracking-sensor slope, FSM-to-sensor gain, axis cross-coupling), and support loop closure on testbeds and integrated hardware.
- Plan and run PAT optical testing, including closed-loop tracking testbeds, disturbance and jitter injection, and boresight verification.
Basic Qualifications- Education: Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience: 3+ years of professional experience in pointing and tracking, beam control, or free-space laser systems; candidates with more experience are preferred.
Technical Expertise- Deep understanding of PAT for free-space laser systems (laser communications, directed energy, power beaming, or lidar), including acquisition, coarse and fine pointing, and tracking.
- Hands-on experience with FSMs, quadrant detectors or position-sensing detectors, and focal-plane tracking sensors.
- Ability to build LOS pointing and jitter budgets including noise-equivalent angle, residual jitter, boresight drift, and calibration error.
- Proficiency with Zemax OpticStudio or CODE V and with Python or MATLAB modeling.
- Working knowledge of control concepts (bandwidth, disturbance rejection, sensor noise) sufficient to partner effectively with controls engineers.
- Lab experience building and testing closed-loop tracking systems.
Preferred Qualifications- Space Lasercom or Beam Control: Flight or flight-like optical terminals or beam-control systems.
- Non-Cooperative Tracking: Tracking targets by reflected or scattered return rather than a beacon.
- Boresight and Point-Ahead: Calibration of transmit/receive co-alignment over temperature and on orbit.
- Integrated Modeling: Structural-dynamics-to-LOS jitter modeling.
- Advanced Degrees: Master's degree or Ph.D. in Optical Sciences, Physics, or Electrical Engineering.
Help us deploy and scale space infrastructure that will drive our utilization of space forward! We offer a highly competitive benefits package including access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, and paid parental leave, in addition to other benefits. 
