System Architect-Interferometric Technologies

QED Technologies

$100K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years experience in system architecture and interferometry technologies
  • Strong background in lens design, opto-mechanics, and basic coding (Python, Matlab)
  • Proficient in requirements development and systems engineering processes
  • Ability to lead cross-functional technical discussions and negotiations
  • Strong communication skills for documentation and collaboration
  • Experience with product lifecycle management in a technical environment

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the technical authority for interferometry products, ensuring coherent architecture and strategic alignment
  • Act as Project Technical Lead to coordinate technical execution across engineering disciplines
  • Conduct technical trade studies balancing performance, quality, and cost
  • Lead development of clear, verifiable customer and technical requirements
  • Create and maintain system requirements quality, traceability, and manage change control
  • Define system architectures and manage risk against established requirements
  • Support product release, ongoing product improvement and end-of-life planning

Benefits

  • Collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams and varied engineering disciplines
  • Opportunities for continuous improvement and innovative process development
  • Involvement in all phases of the product lifecycle from conception to end-of-life
  • Mentorship and communication with experienced leaders in the field
  • Opportunity to influence major engineering decisions and product strategies
Full Job Description
Position Overview:

The System Architect- Interferometric Technologies is a technical leader and system architect for QED Technologies' Interferometer based product line (e.g. ASI, QIS, etc.). They are responsible for the technical integrity of metrology-oriented products across the full lifecycle-from early concept exploration and architecture through development, release, sustainment, and end-of-life planning. This role exercises strong technical influence over roadmap execution and platform decisions alongside system requirements development, and cross-functional technical alignment.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Line Technical Leadership
• Serve as the technical authority for Interferometry based products, ensuring coherent architecture, sound engineering decisions, and consistent product line strategy.
• Act as Project Technical Lead for Interferometry oriented programs, coordinating technical execution across engineering disciplines.
• Drive technical trade studies and decision records, balancing performance, quality and cost.
• Requirements Development & Management
• Lead customer/product/technical requirements development, translating voice-of-customer inputs into clear, verifiable requirements.
• Create and maintain structure, quality, traceability, and change control of system requirements.
• Facilitate requirements reviews with stakeholders; ensure requirements are verifiable and aligned with product intent, risks, and constraints.
• System Architecture & Concept Development
• Lead project concept development: define system architectures to fulfill established requirements.
• Execute product development plan to manage risk against requirements.

Systems Engineering Execution
• Identify technical risks early and drive mitigation plans through architecture choices, prototypes, analysis, and verification planning.
• Lead functional decomposition, allocate requirements to subsystems, and define interface control requirements.
• Devise innovative processes to meet challenging requirements.
• Develop and maintain verification & validation strategy, including system level acceptance criteria and test plans.
• Product Lifecycle Support (Release, Sustainment & EOL)
• Work alongside manufacturing engineering, operations, sales and marketing to release new products to market.
• Provide ongoing support for released Interferometry based products: cost-down initiatives, obsolescence planning, corrective actions, preventative actions and continuous improvement.
• Partner with manufacturing, service, and quality teams to ensure product changes are robust, documented, and effectively implemented.
• Partner with sales and marketing to support end-of-life planning: transition strategies, documentation completeness, and customer commitments.

Skills & Competencies:

Deep and holistic understanding of interferometry and other metrology technologies is required. With experience in:
• Lens design
• Interferometry
• Opto-mechanics
• Basic coding (e.g. scripting in Python, Matlab, etc.)
• Data analysis
• Proficient in systems engineering and able to drive clarity from ambiguity:
• Disciplined and thoughtful approach to system requirements development
• Comfortable facilitating cross-functional technical reviews and negotiations
• Practical, customer-focused engineering mindset (robust, serviceable solutions) leveraging feedback for continuous improvement
• Effective cross-functional leadership bridging Engineering, R&D, and Operations
• Strong communication and organizational skills for documentation, project support and collaboration
• Strategic supplier and partner management to align resources and ensure product success
• Continuous improvement mindset leveraging post-launch feedback for ongoing refinements

Reporting & Working Relationships:
• Reports to the Systems Engineering Manager
• Serves as a primary internal technical point of contact for Interferometry based systems within defined purview (e.g. ASI, QIS, and future systems)
• Works closely with Project Management, Engineering, Service, Quality, and Applications
• Serves as a technical interface to customers and design partners as appropriate in execution of key responsibilities

Tools:
• Optical design in Zemax, or similar specialized engineering software
• Requirements management in Jama Connect
• Cross-functional engineering tools as needed (Git, JIRA, etc.)

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