Clera

Senior Optical Engineer, R&D

San Francisco
Salary
$150,000 - $200,000 annually
Level
Senior
Work type
On-site · San Francisco
Visa
Not offered

Open. First seen 6 November 2026.

Apply on the company's site →

About the role

About the Role

Join a defense technology team developing autonomous directed-energy systems. You will lead optical design and investigations for hardware platforms, applying strong optical judgment to help deliver robust systems beyond the lab.

What You'll Do

  • Lead optical design and analysis for core system components.
  • Drive optical investigations, trade studies, and system-level design decisions.
  • Specify and evaluate optical components and subsystem architectures.
  • Partner with mechanical engineers on optical packaging, housing, and integration.
  • Perform tolerance analysis, validate performance, and guide design iterations.
  • Lead or support alignment, characterization, and testing of integrated optical systems.
  • Work with vendors and fabricators on manufacturability, tolerancing, and component feasibility.
  • Establish practical approaches for optical development, validation, and technical documentation.

What We're Looking For

  • Typically 5 to 10 or more years of senior-level experience in optical engineering, optical design, or related physics-based systems work.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and analyzing optical systems built and operated as real hardware, including precision alignment, characterization, and hardware debugging.
  • Ability to apply optical theory from first principles and lead investigations that inform system-level decisions.
  • Experience with optical components and subsystem architectures, vendor collaboration, tolerance analysis, and performance validation.
  • Experience collaborating with mechanical engineers on packaging, housing, and integration.
  • Relevant experience may include high-power laser optics, ruggedized beam delivery, beam directors, collimators, fast steering mirrors, adaptive optics, or laser communications terminals.
  • Experience with Zemax/OpticStudio or Code V, and 1-micron Yb fiber laser systems, is valuable.
  • BS or MS in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary: $150,000 to $200,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Location

On-site in San Francisco, California.

The team: Engineering HIRES STEADILY

This role is one of 358 open in Engineering. 226 were posted in the last 30 days and the oldest in March: a team that hires all year rather than one being built.

WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS

LLM (180 of 358), TypeScript (177 of 358), React (154 of 358), Python (146 of 358), Machine Learning (74 of 358), Supabase (73 of 358), PostgreSQL (68 of 358)

OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM

From the team and dates on Clera's own job board.

Posting history

Reposted 2 times since 21 October 2026: a posting for this role in San Francisco was taken down and the role was posted again.

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PLACESSan Francisco 8,587United States 77,619
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