Job Description: Optical Engineer / Lead Technician

Company: Esper Satellite Imagery

Location: Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia

Role Type: Full-Time

The Mission

At Esper, we are building the eyes of the future. Our hyperspectral imaging systems capture data beyond the visible spectrum, providing critical insights for agriculture, mining, and environmental monitoring. As we scale our constellation, we are looking for a hands-on Optical Systems Engineer/Technician to lead the assembly, alignment, and calibration of our next-generation payloads.

You won't just be looking at designs on a screen; you will be the person physically bringing these high-performance instruments to life, ensuring they survive the rigors of launch and perform flawlessly in orbit.

Key Responsibilities

1. Assembly & Precision Alignment

• Build the Core: Physically assemble multi-component optical systems, with a specific focus on off-axis optical designs (e.g., TMA and Offner architectures).
• Precision Alignment: Use theodolites, autocollimators, and alignment cubes to align optical paths to mechanical housings with micron-level precision.
• Verification: Utilize interferometers to measure and verify Wavefront Error (WFE) to ensure the final system meets rigorous image quality standards.

2. Mission Assurance & Traceability

• Real-Time Documentation: Document every step of assembly, alignment, and testing in real time. This includes recording all measurements, settings, adjustments, observations, and decisions.
• Flight Records: Ensure all procedural details and data fields are meticulously completed to create a clear, repeatable, and fully traceable record for flight-ready hardware.

3. Calibration & Lab Operations

• Performance Characterization: Build and operate test benches to measure MTF (sharpness) and characterize hyperspectral-specific distortions like Smile and Keystone.
• Radiometric Calibration: Use integrating spheres, monochromators, and spectral lamps to calibrate sensor response across the spectral range.
• Cleanroom Stewardship: Execute hardware builds within ISO 5/7 cleanrooms, maintaining strict protocols for cleaning optics and handling flight hardware.

What You Bring (Required Skills)

• Proven Hardware Experience: You have a track record of building and aligning complex telescope or spectrometer systems from the ground up.
• Metrology Expertise: Deep familiarity with interferometry and optical alignment tooling (autocollimators/theodolites).
• Tactile Precision: High dexterity and experience with the mechanical side of optics—shimming, torquing, and precision positioning.
• Lab Proficiency: Experience in a cleanroom environment and a solid understanding of spectral/radiometric calibration setups.

The "Force Multipliers" (Desirable Skills)

• Advanced Alignment: Specialized expertise in aligning off-axis optical systems where symmetry cannot be used as a shortcut.
• Software Literacy: Ability to open Zemax or Code V files to troubleshoot lab deviations or analyze how mechanical tilts impact performance.
• Automation: Proficiency in Python or MATLAB to automate data collection during lab testing (e.g., controlling motorized stages).
• Stray Light Mitigation: A "detective’s eye" for identifying ghosts or glare in the lab and applying physical baffles or coatings to eliminate them.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Experience working with mechanical teams on flexure design and communicating technical specs to external vendors/foundries.
• Environmental Testing: Familiarity with prepping optical payloads for Vibration and Thermal-Vacuum (TVAC) testing.

Educational Background & Qualifications

We are looking for a candidate who balances theoretical optical physics with the practical realities of high-precision assembly.

• Preferred Degrees: B.S. or M.S. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Remote Sensing, or Mechanical Engineering (with a focus on optomechanics).
• Candidates with a Technical Associate Degree or specialized military training in precision optical systems (e.g., Metrology or Photonics Technicians) and significant industry experience are also highly encouraged to apply.
• Target Coursework & Knowledge:
• Deep understanding of Geometric Optics and Physical Optics.
• Knowledge of Spectroscopy fundamentals (specifically how diffraction gratings and slits interact).
• Familiarity with Optomechanical Design principles (e.g., kinematic mounts, CTE matching, and flexure mechanics).

Compensation & Perks

At Esper, we recognize that building world-class space hardware requires focus, rest, and a stake in the success of the mission.

• Estimated Salary: $140,000 – $160,000 AUD (commensurate with experience and specific technical mastery).
• Superannuation: 11.5% (or current statutory rate) in addition to base salary.
• Equity & Stock Grants: You aren't just an employee; you’re an owner. This role includes a significant Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) grant, allowing you to share in the long-term value of the constellation you are helping to build.
• The 9-Day Fortnight: We operate on a compressed work schedule. Every second Friday is a "Rostered Day Off" (RDO), meaning you get a 3-day weekend every two weeks—giving you more time to recharge without sacrificing full-time pay while working the normal full-time fortnight.
• Relocation Support: For the right candidate moving to Melbourne, we offer a relocation package to help you get settled and into the lab quickly.

Why Esper?

You will be a foundational member of a fast-moving team where your work directly impacts the quality of data we deliver to the world. We value practitioners—people who love to be at the bench, solving the hard physical problems that come with putting high-end optics into space.

Ready to build the next generation of hyperspectral systems?

Email your CV to hi@espersatellites.co / apply via LinkedIn