Senior Optical Engineer

Are you looking for an exciting, innovative company with over 100 years of excellence and commitment to ethical business? Amentum is a trusted partner to United States government agencies, allied governments, and corporations worldwide supporting critical programs across a broad range of domains. We are currently looking for a Senior Optical Engineer to support our research and development efforts for the advancement of electro-optical and infrared systems. We can accommodate a hybrid schedule with 3-4 days onsite and 1-2 days remote per week.

This position will support the design, integration, and testing of advanced electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) systems across maritime, airborne, and expeditionary platforms and offers hands-on experience working with cutting-edge imaging technologies, sensor payloads, and embedded electronics in dynamic, mission-driven environments.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end design, development, integration, and validation of complex engineering systems across sensing, processing, and platform domains.
• Serve as a technical authority across multiple domains, including sensors, FPA/imaging systems, FPGA/digital processing, RF systems, and optical/photonic technologies.
• Resolve complex technical challenges, including cross-domain integration issues, performance shortfalls, and undefined system behaviors.
• Architect and implement robust system solutions, making and defending critical design decisions with minimal oversight.
• Lead deep-dive debugging and root cause analysis across hardware, firmware, and software, driving issues to closure.
• Define and execute comprehensive test and validation strategies, including lab, field, and operational environments.
• Perform and lead high-impact trade studies, balancing performance, cost, schedule and risk and coordinate with the Program Manager and Stakeholders to make final technical decisions within scope.
• Drive system integration and deployment, ensuring performance meets mission and operational requirements.
• Develop and deliver high-quality technical outputs including design documentation, performance analyses, and additional program deliverables for internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship, setting engineering standards and guiding less experienced engineers through complex problem solving.
• Lead integration and performance evaluation of systems on deployable platforms, including UAS, ensuring mission effectiveness.
• Apply system expertise to UAS and C-UAS applications, including detection tracking, identification, and performance optimization in real-world environments.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM field (Remote Sensing, Photonics, Physics, Optics, Electrical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering) with 10+ years of relevant experience or a Master’s Degree in relevant field with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance (interim clearance is required to start). Please note, US Citizenship is required to obtain a secret clearance.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a technical lead or subject matter expert across multiple engineering domains, not limited to a single specialty.
• Deep experience in at least one core domain with working expertise across several other domains including sensors/imaging, FPGA/digital systems, RF systems, or optical/photonic systems.
• Experience with system integration, debugging, and performance optimization across hardware, firmware, and software.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end system performance, including signal chains, noise sources, data processing, and environmental effects.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering trade studies and making critical technical decisions with limited oversight.
• Experience defining and executing advanced test methodologies, including lab and field environments.
• Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, instrumentation, and system-level validation.
• Proven ability to lead technical efforts and mentor engineers, influencing design, quality and execution.
• Ability to translate complex technical work into clear, concise communication for both technical and non-technical audiences, supporting program reporting and decision making.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work, manage competing tasks, and deliver results in alignment with project schedules and budget expectations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience spanning multiple domains including sensors and imaging systems, FPGA and digital signal processing, RF systems and signal chains, optical and photonic systems, including laser technologies.
• Active Secret Clearance
• Strong programming experience for analysis, automation, or algorithm development utilizing C++, Python, and/or MATLAB.
• Experience integrating and deployment systems on UAS and/or other mobile/airborne platforms.
• Experience with C-UAS applications, including detection, tracking, and identification systems.
• Experience leading system architecture development and design reviews.
• Prior experience service as a technical lead responsible for delivery of major subsystems or full systems.
• Prior experience mentoring junior engineers or leading small technical efforts.

Compensation Details:

The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

Benefits Overview:

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid time off and holidays

• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)

• Educational reimbursement

• Parental leave

• Employee stock purchase plan

• Tax-saving options

• Disability and life insurance

• Pet insurance

Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Original Posting:

Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed,  marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.