{"id":4297356,"url":"https://alion.io/job/monarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer","title":"Principal Optical Systems Engineer","company":{"id":678365,"name":"Monarch Quantum","domain":"monarchquantum.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/monarchquantum","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workable","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":100,"open_postings":37,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":54,"computed_at":"2026-11-12T10:38:37Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"lead","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 Diego, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":175000,"max":225000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":225000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-14T01:52:52Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-14","last_verified_at":"2026-11-14T01:52:52Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Optical Systems Engineer. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth.\nThis is a highly technical, lab-focused role for someone with strong practical optical experience who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic engineering environment. You’ll work closely with Mechanical Engineering, Optical Design, Software, and Process Development teams to ensure our equipment performs reliably and meets evolving customer needs.\nWe’re looking for an independent problem solver who can confidently make technical decisions, troubleshoot complex optical systems, and translate lab findings into actionable engineering improvements.\nKey Responsibilities:\nOptical Integration & Characterization: Independently align, characterize, troubleshoot, and optimize free-space and fiber-based optical systems within automated equipment.\nSystem Performance: Evaluate optical performance, identify root causes of issues, and recommend design or process improvements to increase reliability, repeatability, and performance.\nCross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a key technical interface with Process Development, understanding their requirements and supporting the development and improvement of optical conversion kits.\nNew Product Development: Participate in design reviews, evaluate proposed optical configurations, and provide practical feedback based on lab experience and system performance.\nTechnical Ownership: Exercise independent engineering judgment, prioritize technical issues, and drive solutions in a rapidly evolving environment.\nSafety & Documentation: Demonstrate disciplined laser safety practices and develop clear alignment procedures, test methods, and technical documentation.\nRequirements\nThis position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).\nExperience:\nBS or MS in Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.\n8+ years of hands-on experience working with complex optical or laser-based systems.\nStrong working knowledge of free-space optics, laser alignment, beam propagation, fiber coupling, and optical measurement techniques.\nExperience with optical characterization, troubleshooting, and experimental test setups.\nAbility to independently diagnose problems, make sound technical decisions, and communicate findings across engineering disciplines.\nDemonstrated commitment to safe laser operations and established laboratory safety procedures.\nComfortable working in a dynamic startup environment where requirements and priorities evolve rapidly.\nPreferred Experience\nOptical integration in semiconductor equipment, photonics, precision instrumentation, or automated test systems.\nExperience with opto-mechanical assemblies, active alignment, motion-control systems, and optical metrology.\nExperience translating experimental results into engineering design changes.\nWhat Makes This Role Different\nThis is not primarily an optical design position. We’re looking for someone who knows how to make complex optical systems work in practice-someone equally comfortable aligning lasers at an optical table, investigating performance issues, and collaborating with engineers to improve the next generation of equipment.\nBenefits\nThe expected annual salary range for this position is $175,000-$225,000.\nAs a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:\nMedical, Dental, and Vision insurance\nFidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching\n20 paid time off (PTO) days per year\n13 paid company holidays\n9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)\nMonarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4423,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Quantum Computing Hardware","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-14T01:52:52Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":54,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-11-14T03:37:14Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":225000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/monarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/monarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-14T03:37:14Z","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":5493,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-15T00:00:00Z"}},"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":678365},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=678365"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fmonarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"free","price":{"credits":0,"usd":0},"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%2Fmonarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer"},{"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%2Fmonarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-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/monarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fmonarch-quantum-principal-optical-systems-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":4297356}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"monarchquantum.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":4297356},"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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