The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Optical Engineer

Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or related field required; Master's or PhD preferred.
  • 0-3 years of experience in Optical Engineering or related field.
  • Proficiency in digital and analog electronics circuit design and embedded firmware development.
  • Strong analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills.
  • Excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills.

Responsibilities

  • Design and integrate components with optical devices and demonstrate device prototypes.
  • Develop, build, and test optical systems and products.
  • Collaborate with hardware and software teams to develop and qualify optical systems.
  • Implement test procedures and select appropriate test instrumentation.
  • Provide troubleshooting support for instrumentation production and resolve technical issues.
  • Document design changes and tests through formal engineering notifications.
  • Identify and communicate challenges to project leadership.

Benefits

  • Work-life balance programs including workplace flexibility and employee clubs.
  • Health and finance workshops, along with off-site social events.
  • Discounts to local museums and cultural activities.
  • Opportunities for career enhancement in a renowned R&D innovation company.
  • Supportive environment for continuous learning and personal development.
Full Job Description

Job Description Summary:

The Optical Engineer 1 designs, develops, and tests optical technologies and systems. Develops and implements test procedures while selecting appropriate test instrumentation. Interacts with hardware and software design teams to determine the qualification and manufacturability of new technologies.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities
• Designing, analyzing, integrating components with optical devices, and demonstrating device prototypes.
• Develops, builds and tests systems and products based on optic, photonic and laser technologies.
• Interacts with device, hardware and software design teams to develop optical systems; specifying, selecting and qualifying active and passive optical components, developing and benchmarking system performance models.
• Develop and implement test procedures and/or evaluating and selecting appropriate test instrumentation.
• Provides multi-discipline support to instrumentation production by resolving technical issues associated with components, parts, products or systems.
• Testing of new and existing designs and documentation of changes through a formal engineering change notification process.
• Provide recommendations for cost reduction efforts.
• Apply quantitative analysis in determining root cause of highly technical problems and propose, develop and implement solutions for corrective action.
• Develops and maintain effective internal/external relationships.
• Executes analysis assignments under the oversight of program leadership.
• Contributes content for technical reports and presentations with appropriate guidance.
• Adapt appropriately to changes in program requirements.
• Identify challenges associated with assigned work and communicate them to project leadership.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Skills/Abilities
• Proficiency in digital and analog electronics circuit design, high-performance, real-time embedded firmware development.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent mathematical skills.
• Excellent mechanical skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with the proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks.
• Thorough understanding of engineering theories and procedures.

Education
Requires a bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or related field. Masters or PhD degree preferred.

Experience
0-3 years experience Optical Engineering experience or related field required.

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a US government security clearance.

Job Location - City:

Cambridge

Job Location - State:

Massachusetts

Job Location - Postal Code:

The US base salary range for this full-time position is

$62,500.00 - $140,000.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.  Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

About The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. The laboratory was founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop aeronautical instrumentation, and came to be called the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. During this period the laboratory is best known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer, the first silicon integrated circuit based computer. It was renamed for its founder in 1970, and separated from MIT in 1973 to become an independent, non-profit organization. The expertise of the laboratory staff includes the areas of guidance, navigation, and control technologies and systems; fault-tolerant computing; advanced algorithms and software systems; modeling and simulation; and microelectromechanical systems and multichip module technology.
Learn more about The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Optical Engineer jobs: