Principal Optical Engineer

4 days ago

Boston, Massachusetts, United States CT19 Full time $120,000 - $180,000 per year

Principal Optical Engineer

Boston, MA, USA

Overview

A leading
neutral atom quantum computing company
is seeking a
Principal Optical Engineer
to join its
Hardware Engineering Group
. This team plays a pivotal role in advancing the company's mission to build
state-of-the-art, manufacturable, and deployable neutral atom quantum computers
, translating scientific breakthroughs into robust, commercial-grade systems.

The successful candidate will be a senior individual contributor with deep expertise in optics and optical engineering, capable of bridging the gap between R&D and scalable product development. Applicants should bring
graduate-level education
in optics, optical engineering, or applied physics, and
substantial industry experience
in an enterprise or advanced technology environment.

Key Responsibilities

Optical Module Design and Development

  • Collaborate with physicists to define requirements and
    design optical systems, subsystems, and components
    supporting neutral atom quantum computers throughout the full product lifecycle (R&D, productization, and maintenance).
  • Lead interdisciplinary engineering teams
    (optical, electronic, mechanical, etc.) from concept through implementation and production.
  • Advance internal engineering practices through
    independent research, problem-solving, and process improvements
    .
  • Work closely with the R&D and science teams to
    translate research advances into next-generation hardware
    .
  • Troubleshoot complex optical systems both at company headquarters and
    off-site customer installations
    , in coordination with local support teams.

Qualifications

Required

  • Master's degree in
    optics, optical engineering, applied physics
    , or a closely related field.
  • 10–15 years of non-academic work experience
    , ideally combining both enterprise-scale and startup environments.
  • Deep technical expertise in:
  • Free-space optics
  • Lens design
  • Fiber optics
  • Lasers
  • Optical system characterization and testing
  • Opto-mechanics
  • Proven track record in
    bringing complex optical systems from concept to production
    .
  • Proficiency with
    Mechanical CAD software
    (e.g., Inventor, SolidWorks),
    PDM/PLM tools
    , and
    optical simulation software
    (e.g., Zemax).

Preferred

  • Experience with
    quantum computing
    , particularly neutral atom systems.
  • Professional experience in
    commercial product development and field deployment
    at customer sites.

We don't expect every single box to be ticked, so please don't be put off if you're missing one or two things.

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