Optical Engineer

About Matter Intelligence

Welcome to Matter, where we are building the future of vision AI: pairing a world-first sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model that will be the most powerful intelligence engine for the physical world. This system doesn't just see what something looks like; it understands everything from a single pixel. We call this Superintelligent Vision.

Our team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL, designed advanced sensors for U.S. Defense, and frontier artificial intelligence systems. We are now building the next generation of space- and airborne-based sensing systems.

About the Role

Matter is hiring an Optical Engineer to help design, integrate, calibrate, and operate the optical path for our sensing payload. This role will work across optical design, optomechanics, calibration, systems engineering, and test.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate optical designs and system trade studies for advanced electro-optic sensors, balancing performance, manufacturability, and end-user utility across the required spectral range.

• Decompose system requirements into optical system and subsystem requirements; derive optical specifications, drawings, interfaces, alignment approaches, tolerances, and performance budgets with adjacent engineering teams.

• Perform optical analysis—including image simulation, radiometry, stop analysis, and stray-light analysis—and plan and execute optical assembly, alignment, characterization, calibration, and integration activities.

• Support the design of optical test equipment, environmental, ground, and flight testing; analyze results, investigate performance gaps, and lead root-cause efforts.

• Participate in design reviews and document optical requirements, test methods, calibration results, as-built optical designs, and configuration changes.

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree in optics, physics, engineering, mathematics, or a related field, with a strong foundation in optical engineering and experience applying it to physical systems.

• Proficiency with Zemax or equivalent optical design and analysis software, along with experience in optical alignment, characterization, calibration, laboratory test methods, and design of test equipment and validation procedures.

• Experience with stray-light analysis in FRED or equivalent, modeling optical alignment procedures, and using performance-prediction tools for novel optical systems.