About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Aerospace & Defense (Space Systems).

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Overview

Confidential Client is hiring for Associate Optical Engineer and Optical Engineer roles to join a Space Systems team in Manhattan Beach, CA. The team works on optical and electro‑optical systems for EO/IR sensors, optical communications, laser/beam control, photonics and related mission solutions. This position may require travel (~10%) and relocation assistance may be available. Some roles require eligibility for U.S. government security clearances (U.S. citizenship required).

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client’s Lasers & Sensors team needs engineers who will:

• Design, model, analyze, and test optical and electro‑optical systems and components (sensors, lasers, fiber‑optics, telecom).
• Conduct research in physical and geometric optics, laser characteristics, broadband optical sources.
• Develop component specifications, tolerances, simulations and test procedures for electro‑optical systems.
• Apply design‑to‑cost models, Six Sigma principles, and other methods to meet optical design requirements.
• Support lab testing, integration and troubleshooting of optical subsystems and prototypes.

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Basic Qualifications

Associate Optical Engineer

• Completing or has completed a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Major in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
• U.S. citizenship required to obtain U.S. government security clearances.
• Ability to obtain Special Access Program eligibility within a reasonable time.

Optical Engineer

• Completing or has completed a Master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Major in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
• U.S. citizenship required to obtain U.S. government security clearances.
• Ability to obtain Special Access Program eligibility within a reasonable time.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Overall cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.0 or higher.
• Coursework or experience in optical design, lasers, photonics, EO/IR sensors, fiber optics, and optical testing.
• Familiarity with simulation tools for optical systems and tolerance analysis.

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Compensation

Salary ranges provided by Confidential Client for roles in Manhattan Beach, CA:

• Associate Optical Engineer: $83,800 to $125,800 per year
• Optical Engineer: $101,000 to $151,400 per year

These ranges reflect the advertised levels. Total compensation may vary based on experience, education, and role level. Relocation assistance may be available.

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Location & Other Requirements

• Work location: Manhattan Beach, CA (on‑site at client facilities).
• Travel: Yes, approximately 10% of the time.
• Security: Positions require the ability to obtain a U.S. government security clearance (Top Secret or as required). U.S. citizenship is a pre‑requisite.
• Confidential Client is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants without regard to protected characteristics.

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Keywords (for search / matching)

• Optical Engineer Manhattan Beach CA
• Associate Optical Engineer Manhattan Beach
• EO/IR sensor engineer Manhattan Beach
• Laser engineer Manhattan Beach
• Fiber‑optics engineer Manhattan Beach

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.