Optical Engineer (Starshield)

<div class="content-intro"><p>SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of&nbsp;enabling human life on Mars.</p></div><div> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">OPTICAL ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Starshield&nbsp;leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use,&nbsp;Starshield&nbsp;is designed for government use, with&nbsp;an initial&nbsp;focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none">SpaceX&nbsp;satellite engineering&nbsp;teams</span><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;develop, produce, and deploy the most&nbsp;cutting-edge&nbsp;satellite free-space optical communication systems</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;and observation payloads</span><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;in the world. We are looking for engineers to contribute to the development of laser communications terminals and imaging products for the groundbreaking constellation of&nbsp;Starshield&nbsp;satellites. All SpaceX optical systems (laser communication terminal and other optical products) require a blend of theoretical&nbsp;expertise, practical implementation skills, and a passion for solving complex problems in real-time, resource-constrained systems.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">As&nbsp;a&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none">Starshield optical engineer</span><span data-contrast="auto">, you will&nbsp;be responsible for&nbsp;free-space optical system design, validation, and operation. You will shape the future of laser communication systems and directly contribute to mission-critical applications such as next-generation star tracking system for precise navigation in space environments.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">RESPONSIBILITIES:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Apply optics and photonics knowledge to optical system development, including design, analysis, and validation</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Represent the optical system in program-level, cross-disciplinary trades and issue resolution</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Define requirements for high-performant optical systems in challenging environmental conditions</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Lead optical architecture definition through internal trade studies, concept of operations definition, and risk reduction testing</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Participate in verification testing, including environmental qualification, performance characterization, reliability testing, and fault injection testing</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Define and lead field testing of optical experiments and laser communication systems</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Review test data and lead anomaly investigation and resolution</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Maintain link budgets, design specifications, and system capabilities data</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Interface with manufacturing and supply chain teams to ensure final designs can be manufactured&nbsp;in accordance with&nbsp;overall project goals<