Senior Optical Engineer, R&D
CleraSan Francisco, CA
At a glance
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Workplace
- On-site
- Pay
- $150K – $200K (from listing text)
- Employment type
- Full time
- Experience
- Not stated
- Education
- Master (required)
- Job family
- Engineering
- Seniority
- Senior
- Posted by employer
- 21 October 2026
- Last verified open
- 24 October 2026
- Region and country
- CA, US
- Team
- Engineering
- Listed via
- Ashby
What the employer wrote
ABOUT THE ROLE
Join the R&D team at a defense technology startup developing autonomous directed-energy systems. You will lead optical system design and investigations, applying deep optical expertise to turn designs into robust hardware.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Lead optical design and analysis for core system components.
- Drive optical investigations, trade studies, and system-level design decisions.
- Specify and evaluate optical components and subsystem architectures.
- Partner with mechanical engineers on packaging, housing, and system integration.
- Conduct tolerance analysis, performance validation, and design iteration.
- Guide alignment, characterization, and testing of integrated optical systems.
- Work with vendors and fabricators on feasibility, tolerancing, and manufacturability.
- Establish best practices for optical development, validation, and technical documentation.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- Typically 5 to 10 or more years of senior-level experience in optical engineering, optical design, or related physics-based systems work.
- Demonstrated experience designing and analyzing optical systems that were built and operated as hardware, including alignment, characterization, and hands-on debugging.
- Strong command of optical theory and experience leading investigations and trade studies that inform system-level decisions.
- Experience specifying and evaluating optical components, performing tolerance analysis and validation, and working with vendors or fabricators.
- Working familiarity with mechanical packaging and integration, and experience collaborating across engineering disciplines.
- Experience with high-power laser optics, ruggedized beam delivery, beam directors, collimators, fast steering mirrors, adaptive optics, or laser communication terminals is relevant.
- Experience with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V, and approximately 1 micron fiber laser systems, is valuable.
- 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, United States.
Where this record came from
Read from Clera's own Ashby job board on , and last confirmed still open on . The employer published it on 21 October 2026. Jobsearch.ing did not write, edit or rank this posting, and does not vet the employer. View the original posting.