Photonics Scientist

About the Company

A well-funded, early-stage hardware company building the manufacturing layer for a new class of photonic sensing devices; think of it as a foundry model for photonics. Their first products are electro-optical sensing systems for aerospace and national security applications, and the company is expanding into a broader portfolio of photonics research and manufacturing programs. They operate their own engineering, laboratory, and fabrication facilities in-house.

About the Role

We're seeking a Photonics Scientist to serve as a senior technical contributor across the company's flagship sensing programs and an emerging applied research portfolio. You'll own the optical and photonic architecture of electro-optical sensing systems from first-principles analysis through prototype demonstration, and help define research directions that carry the company into new photonics product lines. You'll work directly with the Chief Scientist and engineering leadership, with access to in-house nanofabrication and optical test infrastructure as it comes online.

This role suits a scientist who has led R&D programs end to end: framing the problem, performing the analysis, designing the experiment, standing at the bench, and delivering results to a customer or product team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and analysis of electro-optical sensing architectures for advanced aerospace applications, including radiometric link budgets, signal-to-noise and detection-probability analysis, and end-to-end performance modeling across NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR bands


• Design, model, and validate optical components and subsystems, including imaging optics, spectral and angular filters, diffractive and holographic optical elements, coatings, and detector front ends


• Conduct applied research in nanophotonics, including metasurfaces, plasmonic and refractory optical materials, and thin-film structures, identifying paths from lab results to manufacturable products


• Build, operate, and maintain optical test benches; plan and execute characterization and metrology campaigns; document results to a standard suitable for design reviews and customer deliverables


• Collaborate with the fabrication team on process-design interactions, including tolerancing, material selection, and design-for-manufacturability of micro- and nano-structured optical components


• Support capture of government-funded research programs, including SBIR/STTR and other agency solicitations, contributing technical approaches, proposal sections, and program leadership


• Contribute to the company's IP portfolio through invention disclosures, patents, and, where appropriate, peer-reviewed publication


• Mentor engineers across disciplines and raise the scientific standard of the organization

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics, Applied Physics, Optics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field, or equivalent demonstrated research experience


• 5+ years of experience in optical or photonic system R&D beyond the doctorate, in industry, a national laboratory, or a defense research environment


• Demonstrated expertise in at least two of the following: electro-optical/infrared sensing systems, laser systems and laser materials, nanophotonics and metasurfaces, diffractive or holographic optics, optical thin films and coatings


• Strong command of radiometry, Fourier optics, and detection theory, with the ability to carry an analysis from closed-form estimate through numerical simulation


• Proficiency with optical design and simulation tools such as Zemax OpticStudio or CODE V, and electromagnetic solvers such as Lumerical FDTD or COMSOL


• Hands-on laboratory experience, including alignment, optical characterization, and instrumentation


• A record of technical output in the form of publications, patents, or delivered systems


• Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) as required to access export-controlled technical data under ITAR

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with precision electro-optical sensing payloads for aerospace or defense applications


• Experience with nanofabrication processes and cleanroom workflows, including lithography, etch, and deposition, and their interaction with optical design


• A track record of winning and executing government-funded research programs, including SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II awards


• Experience leading multidisciplinary research programs with responsibility for technical direction, schedule, and customer engagement


• Active or previously held U.S. security clearance

Export Control and Equal Opportunity

This position requires access to information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62.