{"id":1557838,"url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-senior-optical-engineer","title":"Senior Optical 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":"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":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":59000,"max_usd":111000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":55},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T19:31:25Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-30","last_verified_at":"2026-10-03T02:42:08Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"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\nYou'll own optical design across our laser ranging stations, optical tracking systems and retroreflector products. This is a hands-on senior role. You'll set the architecture, run the analysis and be in the lab when it's built.\nWhat you'll do\nLead optical design for transmit and receive paths, from requirements and tolerancing through to verified hardware\n\nDesign and test optics for tracking satellites in daylight and at night\n\nSupport the design and test of retroreflector arrays for LEO and MEO missions\n\nRun trade studies with suppliers on telescopes, windows, coatings and filters\n\nMentor graduate and junior engineers, and set our standards for optical design and test\n\nWrite technical content for ESA and customer programmes\n\nWhat you'll bring\nExtensive experience in optical engineering, ideally on astronomical, laser, defence or space instruments\n\nStrong skills in optical design software (Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V or similar) and in tolerance analysis\n\nHands-on alignment, metrology and test experience (interferometry, wavefront sensing, radiometry)\n\nA working knowledge of high-power laser optics: coatings, contamination and damage thresholds\n\nClear technical writing for design reviews and bids\n\nNice to have\nExperience with satellite laser ranging, lidar, free-space optical comms or adaptive optics\n\nStray light analysis\n\nObservatory or telescope experience\n\nECSS or ESA project experience\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":3171,"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":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":41,"reasons":["conf:5","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-02T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-senior-optical-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-senior-optical-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-03T04:17:37Z","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":4449,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":551,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-04T00:00:00Z"}}}