{"id":338945,"url":"https://alion.io/job/cowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics","title":"Optical Engineer, Communications","company":{"id":8929,"name":"Cowboy Space","domain":"cowboyspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/cowboyspace","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":5,"ghost_share":0.2,"stale_share":0.4,"repost_share":0.2,"time_to_fill_p50_days":48,"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 Carlos, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":165000,"max":220000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":220000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":true,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"TPU","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-02T21:32:56Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-15","last_verified_at":"2026-11-09T12:19:01Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":67,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":67},"description":"About Cowboy Space Corp:\nMission\nCowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes, and connects - from orbit to Earth.\nBackground\nCowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-Earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high-bandwidth optical data transport.\nCurrent energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.\nBaiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.\nThis ambitious mission demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis, and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.\nThe Role:\nThe Optical Engineer, Lasers & Photonics Engineer at Cowboy Space Corp. will play a key role in designing, developing, and optimizing high-power laser systems for our satellites.\nResponsibilities:\nDesign and develop high-power fiber laser and amplifier systems for space-based applications\n\nCharacterize laser sources including linewidth, phase noise, RIN, and spectral purity\n\nSelect, integrate, and qualify fiber-optic components and subsystems for integration into a space-based platform\n\nPerform and supervise fiber splicing and assembly of fiber-optic subassemblies\n\nModel and measure fiber nonlinearity effects including SBS and SPM\n\nDesign and align coherent fiber-optic receivers\n\nDevelop and execute test plans for optical performance verification including BER, eye diagrams, and spectral measurements\n\nGenerate design specifications, assembly procedures, and test reports\n\nBasic Qualifications:\nBachelor's degree+ in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field\n\n3+ years of hands-on experience with fiber-optic systems including splicing, component integration, and characterization\n\n2+ years of professional laser beam characterization experience\n\nExperience with optical diagnostics, optical relays, and imaging\n\nOptical systems design and alignment (free-space optical)\n\nExperience with rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers\n\nFamiliarity with fiber-optic communications modulation formats\n\nExperience operating OSAs, power meters, polarimeters, and high-speed oscilloscopes\n\nPreferred Qualifications:\nMaster's or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline\n\nHands-on experience building and characterizing MOPA fiber amplifier chains\n\nFamiliarity with SBS, SPM, and other nonlinearity effects in high-power fiber systems\n\nExperience with interferometric optical receivers or coherent detection front-ends\n\n5+ years of experience in a laser communications, defense, or aerospace photonics role\n\nExperience with free-space optical communications or LEO inter-satellite links\n\nExperience with environmental validation of space-based laser systems (thermal-vacuum, vibration, radiation)\n\nExperience with Class 4 laser lab environments\n\nMicro-optical bench experience\n\nCompensation and Benefits:\nThe salary range for this position is $165,000 - $220,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.\nEquity in Cowboy Space Corp.\n\nEmployees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance\n\n401(k) retirement savings plan\n\n10 paid holidays\n\nUnlimited paid time off\n\nPaid parental leave\n\nRelocation assistance if applicable\n\nDaily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks\n\nITAR Requirements:\nExport Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.\n\nDisclaimer:\nThis job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.\nCowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6460,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":true},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Parental leave","Relocation assistance","Retirement plans","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Satellite Manufacturing","Space Services","AI Compute & Inference"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-05T17:56:40Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":35,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.803,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":67,"expected_fill_days":48,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-11-09T06:03:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":220000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/cowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/cowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-09T16:33:13Z","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":24144,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-10T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"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":8929},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=8929"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fcowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":2,"usd":0.2},"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%2Fcowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"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%2Fcowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics"},{"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/cowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fcowboyspace-optical-engineer-lasers-photonics"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":338945}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"cowboyspace.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":338945},"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. 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