Senior Specialist, Optical Engineering

Role Overview

Essential Functions

• Lead or support engineering activities for advanced imaging, sensing, and electro-optical systems.
• Analyze and verify wavefront error, line of sight, distortion, focus, focal length, image quality, and related metrics.
• Prepare and review test plans, procedures, error budgets, verification artifacts, design-review materials, and final reports.
• Ensure designs are manufacturable, testable, and integrated with broader system architecture.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of optical performance issues during development and test.
• Support hardware builds, laboratory demonstrations, integration, and verification campaigns.
• Coordinate with stakeholders, external partners, and suppliers on technical execution.
• Identify risks, support mitigation plans, improve processes, and mentor junior engineers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, graduate degree plus 4 years, or 10 years of related experience in lieu of a degree.
• Ability to obtain a federal security clearance.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Active Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance is preferred.
• Preferred experience includes space-based EO/IR subsystem design, manufacture, integration, test, and sell-off.
• Preferred hands-on experience includes interferometers, autocollimators, laser trackers, and phase retrieval.
• Familiarity with Zygo Mx, QED.NET, FRED, CodeV, Zemax OpticStudio, MATLAB, and Python is preferred.
• Experience with space-based EO/IR payloads, vehicle systems, or high-performance imaging systems is preferred.

Schedule

• 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off.

Work Location

• Job location is Rochester, New York.
• The role includes hardware builds, laboratory demonstrations, integration, and test support.

Compensation

• New York salary range is $97,000 to $180,000 per year.
• Final compensation may vary based on experience and geographic location.

Benefits

• Benefits include health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays.