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Salary: USD 145,000 - 175,000 / annual
Cowboy Space Corporation is building space-based solar energy infrastructure, using modular, scalable satellites to collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit. The company transmits energy via infrared lasers (space-to-Earth and space-to-space), powers on-orbit high-performance computing clusters, and provides secure, high-bandwidth optical data transport. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), the company has raised ~$365 million from top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis, and NASA.
The Optical Engineer, Test & Metrology role is part of the Laser Engineering and Optical Communications team. You will design and execute tests that verify laser and optical communications hardware, from individual components through full satellite integration. Most of your time will be spent in the lab building test setups, aligning optics, taking measurements, and converting data into actionable results for the design team.
Key responsibilities include:
- Build, align, and operate optical test setups for free-space, fiber-optic, and interferometric components and subassemblies
- Measure optical performance (power, spectrum, beam quality, wavefront, polarization, alignment) and reduce data into clear results
- Develop test plans and procedures with lead engineers, then execute and record results accurately
- Support testing through hardware integration stages: components, subassemblies, deployable opto-mechanical assemblies, optical payload, and full satellite
- Operate test equipment including OSAs, optical power meters, oscilloscopes, BER testers, beam profilers, wavefront sensors, and interferometers
- Write scripts to automate measurements and data analysis
- Investigate anomalies and feed findings back to design teams
- Support field campaigns including ground station setup, fiber-optic system checkout, and pointing/acquisition/tracking (PAT) validation
- Follow laser safety procedures and maintain test setups, calibration records, and configuration logs
- Travel up to 10% domestically and internationally
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in an optics or photonics lab environment
- Experience with precision optical alignment on a bench
- Experience operating standard optical test equipment (power meters, OSAs, oscilloscopes, beam profilers)
- Working knowledge of optics fundamentals: Gaussian beams, fiber coupling, polarization, and interferometry
- Experience analyzing measurement data in Python or similar language
- Familiarity with Class 3B and Class 4 laser safety practices
Preferred qualifications:
- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Optics, Photonics, or related field
- Experience with high-power fiber laser or amplifier systems
- Experience with free-space optical communications, coherent detection, or BER testing
- Experience assembling precision opto-mechanical hardware, including interferometric or polarization-sensitive assemblies
- Experience with wavefront or interferometric metrology (Shack-Hartmann sensors, Fizeau interferometers)
- Experience with instrument control and test automation (PyVISA, LabVIEW, or similar)
- Exposure to environmental testing (thermal vacuum, vibration) of optical hardware
Note: ITAR compliance required—applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
