Cowboyspace

Optical Engineer, Lasers and Photonics

San Carlos, California · Exec

Work authorization required$120k-$200kDetected 4 days ago

Electrical EngineeringCommunication

About the role

You will work closely with optical, electrical, and systems engineers to bring up and verify the end-to-end communications link.

Design and develop high-power fiber laser and amplifier systems for space-based applications.
Perform and supervise fiber splicing and assembly of fiber-optic subassemblies.
Design and align coherent fiber-optic receivers.
Develop and execute test plans for optical performance verification including BER, eye diagrams, and spectral measurements.
Generate design specifications, assembly procedures, and test reports.
Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy.
We're moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
3+ years of hands-on experience with fiber-optic systems including splicing, component integration, and characterization.
Experience with rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers.
Familiarity with fiber-optic communications modulation formats.
Experience operating OSAs, power meters, polarimeters, and high-speed oscilloscopes.

Master's or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline.
Familiarity with SBS, SPM, and other nonlinearity effects in high-power fiber systems.
Experience with interferometric optical receivers or coherent detection front-ends.
5+ years of experience in a laser communications, defense, or aerospace photonics role.
Experience with free-space optical communications or LEO inter-satellite links.
Experience with environmental validation of space-based laser systems (thermal-vacuum, vibration, radiation).
Experience with Class 4 laser lab environments.
Compensation and

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position.
It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities.
Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.'s discretion.
Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid parental leave
The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations.

This listing is sourced directly from Cowboyspace's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.