Senior Optical System Engineer

Welcome to Matter, where we are building the future of vision AI: pairing a world-first sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model that will be the most powerful intelligence engine for the physical world. This system doesn’t just see what something looks like; it understands everything from a single pixel. We call this Superintelligent Vision.

Our team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL, designed advanced sensors for U.S. defense, and built core infrastructure at OpenAI. We are now building the next generation of space- and airborne-based sensing systems.

We are seeking a Senior Optical Systems Engineer to own the end-to-end optical performance of complex electro-optical payloads — from early concept and system trades through design, integration, test, and (where applicable) on-orbit or airborne operation.

This role is the technical authority for optical system performance, responsible for translating mission objectives into optical requirements, guiding design implementation, verifying performance analytically and experimentally, and supporting calibration and operations.

You will work closely with systems engineering, optomechanical, thermal, electronics, AI&T, and data teams, as well as external suppliers and partners.

Optical System Architecture & Trades

• Define and own optical system architectures for spaceborne and airborne remote-sensing payloads.

• Translate mission objectives into optical requirements (resolution, SNR, spectral performance, stability).

• Lead system-level optical trades (e.g., aperture, altitude, FOV, spectral bandpass, detector selection).

• Support mission-level performance modeling including radiometric, geometric, and image-quality budgets.

Optical Performance Analysis

• Develop and maintain comprehensive optical performance models.

• Perform and review analyses including:

• Radiometry and SNR

• MTF and image quality metrics

• Spectral response and bandpass performance

• Sensitivity to alignment, thermal, and structural effects

• Support STOP analysis in collaboration with optomechanical and thermal engineers.

• Independently verify performance predictions from internal teams or external suppliers.

Design Oversight & Integration

• Review and guide optical and opto-mechanical designs to ensure system-level performance requirements are met.

• Provide technical oversight to internal and external payload development activities.

• Support optical alignment strategies, tolerances, and verification plans.

• Partner with AI&T teams during payload integration, alignment, and test.

Test, Calibration & Operations Support

• Define optical verification and validation approaches.

• Support ground testing, calibration, and environmental qualification of payloads.

• Analyze test data to validate optical performance and close requirements.

• Support commissioning activities, including on-orbit or airborne data analysis and image quality assessment.

• Assist in diagnosing and resolving optical performance anomalies during test or operations.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Present optical designs and performance results at system, program, and customer reviews.

• Communicate complex optical concepts clearly to multidisciplinary and non-optical audiences.

• Mentor junior optical and systems engineers.

• Contribute optical content to proposals, BOEs, and technical planning efforts.

• Optical systems meet or exceed performance requirements across all mission phases.

• Optical performance is well understood, modeled, and verified before flight.

• Integration and test proceed smoothly with minimal optical rework.

• Calibration and commissioning yield high-quality, reliable data products.

• Optical risks are identified early and mitigated effectively.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

• 8+ years of experience in optical systems engineering for EO/IR or remote-sensing systems.

• Strong expertise in optical performance analysis (MTF, SNR, radiometry, spectral response).

• Experience with detector technologies (CCD, CMOS, IR focal planes).

• Experience supporting optical testing and performance validation.

• Ability to communicate effectively across disciplines and with customers.

• Willingness to mentor and provide technical leadership.
  

Preferred

• Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant technical discipline.

• Experience with spaceborne or high-altitude airborne imaging systems.

• Familiarity with optical design and analysis tools (Zemax, Code V, FRED, or equivalent).

• Proficiency with data analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, IDL, ENVI).

• Experience with optical coatings, tolerancing, and alignment planning.

• Experience supporting on-orbit calibration and image quality monitoring.

• Experience contributing to technical proposals (NASA, DoD, SBIR, commercial).

Location

This role is based in El Segundo, CA, with onsite presence required (temporary remote flexibility may be considered). Some travel may be required.

To comply with U.S. export regulations, applicants must be one of the following:

• A U.S. citizen or national

• A lawful permanent resident (green card holder)

• Eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State

At Matter, we believe in rewarding high performance and providing the support you need to thrive. Our compensation and benefits package includes:

• Compensation: Competitive total package based on experience.

• Equity: Early-stage equity package so you share directly in Matter’s growth and success.

• Health & Wellness: 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage.

• Growth: Opportunities to expand into leadership, strategic accounts, or cross-functional roles as we scale.

You are a technically deep optical systems engineer who enjoys working at the intersection of physics, hardware, and mission performance. You think in terms of complete systems — understanding how optical decisions propagate into mechanical design, thermal stability, electronics, and data products.

You are comfortable owning performance, engaging with ambiguity, and validating designs through analysis and test. You communicate clearly, collaborate naturally across disciplines, and take pride in delivering optical systems that enable mission success.