{"id":1557837,"url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-laser-engineer","title":"Laser Engineer","company":{"id":173518,"name":"Foundational","domain":"foundational.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/foundational","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","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":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":42000,"max_usd":100000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":306},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T19:32:18Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-30","last_verified_at":"2026-10-01T02:49:55Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Senior Optical Engineer\nThis is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.\nAbout us\nFoundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.\nWe design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.\nOur station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.\nWe're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.\nPosition Overview\nLondon · Full time · On-site\nPulsed lasers are the heart of satellite laser ranging. You'll own the laser subsystem in our stations: selection, integration and reliability, plus the supply chain behind it.\nWhat you'll do\nSpecify, select and qualify pulsed laser sources with suppliers\n\nIntegrate lasers into the station, including beam delivery, cooling, power, control and safety interlocks\n\nCharacterise laser performance, and build test rigs to track it over the station's life\n\nImprove reliability so lasers run unattended at remote sites\n\nManage laser damage risk across the optical train with the optics team\n\nSupport laser safety cases and documentation for each site\n\nWhat you'll bring\nExperience working with short-pulse solid-state or fibre lasers, in industry or research\n\nBeam characterisation skills: M², pulse width, energy and pointing stability\n\nLaser safety knowledge (IEC 60825 or equivalent)\n\nConfidence working with suppliers on specifications and failure investigations\n\nNice to have\nSatellite laser ranging or lidar experience\n\nLaser-induced damage threshold testing\n\nHarmonic generation\n\nLasers deployed in the field\n\nWhat We Offer\nA high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company\n\nEMI share options (UK employees)\n\n25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays\n\nEnhanced Parental Leave\n\nCycle to work schemes\n\nWork alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics\n\nOffices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials\n\nWe actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.","description_format":"text","description_chars":2871,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Parental leave","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Data Governance & Catalogs","Data Quality & Observability"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T02:49:55Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":36,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-01T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-laser-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-laser-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-01T11:40:04Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3379,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":1621,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z"}}}