{"id":3882872,"url":"https://alion.io/job/clera-senior-optical-engineer-rd-3","title":"Senior Optical Engineer, R&D","company":{"id":2706,"name":"Clera","domain":"getclera.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/clera","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":true,"employer_type":"agency","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":80,"open_postings":39,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":6,"computed_at":"2026-11-09T06:03:00Z"}},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":150000,"max":200000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":200000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-06T17:04:12Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-06","last_verified_at":"2026-11-09T14:34:31Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"About the Role\nJoin a defense technology team developing autonomous directed-energy systems. You will lead optical design and investigations for hardware platforms, applying strong optical judgment to help deliver robust systems beyond the lab.\nWhat You'll Do\nLead optical design and analysis for core system components.\n\nDrive optical investigations, trade studies, and system-level design decisions.\n\nSpecify and evaluate optical components and subsystem architectures.\n\nPartner with mechanical engineers on optical packaging, housing, and integration.\n\nPerform tolerance analysis, validate performance, and guide design iterations.\n\nLead or support alignment, characterization, and testing of integrated optical systems.\n\nWork with vendors and fabricators on manufacturability, tolerancing, and component feasibility.\n\nEstablish practical approaches for optical development, validation, and technical documentation.\n\nWhat We're Looking For\nTypically 5 to 10 or more years of senior-level experience in optical engineering, optical design, or related physics-based systems work.\n\nDemonstrated experience designing and analyzing optical systems built and operated as real hardware, including precision alignment, characterization, and hardware debugging.\n\nAbility to apply optical theory from first principles and lead investigations that inform system-level decisions.\n\nExperience with optical components and subsystem architectures, vendor collaboration, tolerance analysis, and performance validation.\n\nExperience collaborating with mechanical engineers on packaging, housing, and integration.\n\nRelevant experience may include high-power laser optics, ruggedized beam delivery, beam directors, collimators, fast steering mirrors, adaptive optics, or laser communications terminals.\n\nExperience with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V, and 1-micron Yb fiber laser systems, is valuable.\n\nBS or MS in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.\n\nCompensation & Benefits\nBase salary: $150,000 to $200,000 annually. 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