{"id":2095102,"url":"https://alion.io/job/ecm-selection-optical-engineer","title":"Optical Engineer","company":{"id":53991,"name":"ECM Selection","domain":"ecmselection.co.uk","url":"https://alion.io/company/ecm-selection","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":true,"employer_type":"agency","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Schema","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Cambridge, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":70000,"max":70000,"currency":"GBP","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":92512},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-08T16:27:44Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-08","last_verified_at":"2026-10-12T05:56:17Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"This fast-growing company is leveraging AI and other advanced technologies to help protect critical national infrastructure (both civilian and military) from rapidly evolving threats such as drone incursions. To help bring their projects to fruition, they are seeking an experienced Optical Engineer to join their multidisciplinary development team.\nIn this hands-on engineering role, you will design systems incorporating lasers, lenses, and cameras. You will co-operate closely with colleagues from disciplines such as electronics, software, and AI, taking products from initial concepts through verification and trouble-shooting to production-readiness. To thrive in this role, you will need to combine excellent theoretical knowledge with an enthusiasm and aptitude for practical engineering.\nThis is a great opportunity to help bring high technology products to market that will help deter threats and keep the public safe. Joining a fast growing company will provide scope for career growth and expanding your portfolio of skills.\nYou will need:\nAn excellent academic background with a 1st class degree in Physics, Electronics, or similar subject and a strong theoretical understanding of optics and optical engineering\nPractical hands-on optical engineering experience including lasers (and laser safety!), lenses, and beam paths. You will be taking designs beyond the optical bench stage, integrating optical components with supporting electromechanical systems\nSelf motivation and the the ability to take the initiative in driving your work forward\nIdeally, some exposure to using machine learning techniques for machine vision\nFull, existing UK work permission, a driving licence, and the ability to obtain a UK security clearance\nThe role is based south of Cambridge in the near term, later moving to offices in central Cambridge. A highly competitive package is on offer to the successful candidate.\nKeywords: Optics, lasers, cameras, machine vision, national security, Cambridge\nInterested? Send your CV to ECM Selection. We do read every CV and try to respond to everyone. Or recommend a friend for £250, details at https://ecmselection.co.uk/tell-a-friend.\nPlease note: even if you don't have exactly the background indicated, do contact us now if this type of job is of interest - we may well have similar opportunities that you would be suited to. And of course, we always get your permission before submitting your CV to a company.","description_format":"text","description_chars":2449,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"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":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-08T16:27:44Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":54,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.542,"p_room":1,"age_days":3,"expected_fill_days":20,"reasons":["conf:0","agency","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-12T06:55:09Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":92512,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/ecm-selection-optical-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/ecm-selection-optical-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-12T09:03:37Z","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":13528,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-13T00:00:00Z"}},"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":53991},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=53991"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fecm-selection-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%2Fecm-selection-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%2Fecm-selection-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/ecm-selection-optical-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fecm-selection-optical-engineer"}]}