Optics Engineer

A New Paradigm For Space Operations. 

Who We Are: 

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small number of) primary payloads attached to the bus – and unlock a "one-to-many" system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. 

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space. 

What You'll Do: 

We are seeking a Senior Optics Engineer to own the design, integration, and qualification of optical and optomechanical systems for our spacecraft and payload technologies. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who has taken complex optical hardware from early architecture through alignment, environmental testing, and flight-ready production. 

Job Responsibilities:  

• Own optical and optomechanical systems from requirements and architecture through detailed design, integration, qualification, and production.
• Design and analyze imaging, sensing, laser, infrared, or free-space optical systems using first-principles optical engineering.
• Develop optical prescriptions, performance models, error budgets, tolerance analyses, stray-light assessments, and system-level trade studies.
• Design and integrate lenses, detectors, mounts, baffles, windows, thermal interfaces, alignment features, and other precision optical hardware.
• Develop alignment, calibration, metrology, and automated test methods to characterize optical performance.
• Plan and execute environmental qualification, including vibration, shock, thermal-vacuum, and other mission-specific testing.
• Analyze test data, diagnose optical performance issues, lead anomaly investigations, and implement corrective design actions.