{"id":714130,"url":"https://alion.io/job/arkeus-optical-engineer","title":"Optical Engineer","company":{"id":368,"name":"Arkeus","domain":"arkeus.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/arkeus","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Rippling","truth_index":null},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"junior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Melbourne, Australia"],"countries":["AU"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":2,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Computer Vision","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":true},{"name":"Python","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-02T23:49:59Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-02","last_verified_at":"2026-11-04T19:58:19Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":62,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":62},"description":"Who we are\nArkeus builds AI-powered sensing systems that help autonomous platforms detect, track and understand what's happening in the most complex and contested environments. Our technology is deployed across defence and national security applications - already protecting lives and strengthening security across the U.S. and allied markets.\nBacked by QIC, Main Sequence, R+VC, Salus Ventures, Folklore Ventures, DYNE Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, Arkeus is entering a major growth phase. We are a small, fast-moving company with the energy and ambition of a start-up and the technical credibility of a world-class defence technology provider.\nWe work at the intersection of optics, autonomy, robotics and real-time AI and we deploy what we build. If you want to ship technology that matters, not technology that ships decks, this is where you belong.\nCheck it yourself on News | Arkeus\nWe have developed an inclusive, transparent and engaging culture that focuses on building a diverse workforce - realising that to attract the very best, we need to ensure our culture is ready to welcome people from all ages, genders and backgrounds.\nAbout the role\nAs an Optical Engineer at Arkeus, you will design, develop and optimise the optical and electro-optical systems at the heart of our image-based sensing technology - working at the intersection of optical science, imaging, hardware and machine learning. Your work will be central to how our systems detect and classify objects across air, land and sea, in real time and on real hardware: from the imaging optics and sensor selection through to the image quality that our computer-vision models depend on.\nYou will work alongside machine learning, computer vision, mechanical and electronics engineers to take optical systems from concept and modelling through to prototyping, characterisation and deployment on real platforms. As a product company that designs and manufactures in-house, you will see your designs move from the bench through to hardware operating in the field.\nAbout you\nAn engineer with a few years of hands-on optical design and modelling experience, ready to take ownership of designs and complex problems. \nA graduate in optics, photonics, physics or a related discipline, with demonstrated experience designing, tolerancing and characterising real optical systems. \nAble to take an optical design from requirements and modelling through to a tolerance-analysed, validated result - and comfortable making practical trade-offs under real-world constraints. \nEnjoys reading research, experimenting and asking good questions. \nWants to see your designs operating in the real world, not just in simulation. \nKey responsibilities\nDesign, model and optimise optical and imaging systems for sensing applications. \nPerform optical tolerancing, sensitivity analysis, and performance optimisation (resolution, MTF, aberrations). \nConduct non-sequential simulations, stray light and ghost analysis to ensure image quality. \nSelect and specify optics, sensors and imaging components, and define the imaging chain from scene to sensor. \nPrototype, align and characterise optical systems on the bench and on real hardware. \nWork with mechanical and electronics engineers on optomechanical design and integration. \nCollaborate with the ML/CV teams to ensure image quality supports downstream detection and classification. \nSupport the transition of designs into manufacturing; participate in design reviews; maintain documentation. \nExperience and skills\nTertiary qualification (Bachelor's or Master's) in optics, photonics, physics or a related discipline. \n2-4 years of demonstrated optical design and modelling experience (professional, research, or substantial project work). \nHands-on proficiency with optical design software (Zemax OpticStudio, Code V, FRED, OSLO or similar). \nSolid understanding of geometric and physical optics, imaging systems, and optical performance metrics (resolution, MTF, aberrations). \nExperience with optical tolerancing, non-sequential simulation, and stray light / ghost analysis. \nExperience with practical optical work - prototyping, alignment, integration and characterisation. \nSound research and engineering practices. \nEligibility to obtain and maintain an Australian Defence security clearance. \nDesirable:\nExperience with hyperspectral, EO/IR, or spectrometer-based imaging systems. \nExposure to aerospace, airborne remote sensing, or space optical instrumentation (e.g. OGSE). \nExperience with cameras, image sensors, and the imaging chain. \nProgramming (Python/MATLAB) for optical modelling, analysis or test automation. \nUnderstanding of how image quality affects downstream computer-vision / ML performance. \nFamiliarity with optomechanical design and manufacturing transition. \nStrong physics and mathematics background. \nWhy Join Arkeus\nYou will work on the hardest problems in deep-tech - optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware-software integration in a single product. The gap between what you build and where it ends up is almost nonexistent. \nYou will collaborate with exceptional leaders who have 40+ years of combined experience in autonomy, optics and defence. You will be learning from - and contributing to - the best in the field. \nYou will become part of a close-knit, ego-free team where ideas compete on merit, not seniority. Low politics, high trust. The kind of team you will still be talking about in ten years. \nYou will work hard and be expected to bring your best - and in return, you will grow faster than you ever would at a large organisation. \nYou will work on technology that is already deployed in real environments - protecting lives and strengthening security across defence and national security applications. \nYou will receive a competitive, market-benchmarked salary, structured career pathways built to grow with you, and the opportunity to participate in our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP). \nYou will have the opportunity to mentor bright emerging talent through our highly sought-after intern program and strong connections with leading universities. \nIf this sounds like you, please apply even if you don't check every box - we care more about how you think than whether your CV is perfect. Join our growing team and help us change the world through autonomous systems.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6334,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":2,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Computer Vision","C4ISR","Defense AI"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T05:36:31Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":9,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.322,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":62,"expected_fill_days":24,"reasons":["conf:0","win:tail","crowd:junior"],"computed_at":"2026-11-04T06:34:25Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/arkeus-optical-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/arkeus-optical-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-04T23:05:54Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1293,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-05T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":368},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=368"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Farkeus-optical-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Farkeus-optical-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Farkeus-optical-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/arkeus-optical-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Farkeus-optical-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":714130}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"arkeus.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":714130},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}