Open as of August 12, 2026

Optical Engineer, Design & Architecture

andurilindustriesBoulder, Colorado, United States

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Anduril Imaging team develops state-of-the-art imaging systems across both hardware and software, deployed to tackle the most significant security challenges of America and its allies. The team is heavily involved in utilizing computer vision, perception, electro-optical, infrared, and sensor data to give our war fighters and allies an advantage.

ABOUT THE JOB

The Imaging team is seeking an Optical Engineer to focus on design and architecture in support of an expanding and maturing product line at a transition point from prototyping to maturity.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Lead architecture decisions, optical trades for novel optical systems for broadly defined missions
Design lenses and optical components for high performance imaging systems
Understand and define optical performance requirements given multi-disciplinary engineering constraints
Transition a high TRL prototype optical assembly to a production fieldable system.
Design and tolerance complex visible to infrared optical systems to meet performance requirements for ground & airborne applications
Develop and review test setups, procedures, and data to transition products and systems from R&D to production
Evaluate and analyze prototype and production optical system performance errors to determine root cause
Work independently and collaborate with senior staff and leadership to solve interdisciplinary technical problems by serving as the Optical Engineering subject matter expert

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

BS in Engineering or Physics/Astronomy required with a concentration in Optics
MS or PhD preferred, but not required
5+ years of experience with complex opto-mechanical systems, performing optical system design, analysis, alignment and test in the workforce
Experience building LIDAR, laser communications, or adaptive optics systems, with a strong understanding of pointing, acquisition, and tracking.
Expertise with optical design and analysis software, preferably Zemax or CodeV
Experience with STOP (Structural, Thermal, and Optical Performance) analysis
Knowledge of image quality metrics and data analysis methods
Experience with the design of diffraction limited imaging systems in dynamic environments
Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Demonstrated first principles approach to complex opto-mechanical problems
Optical component testing experience (spectral transmission, interferometry, etc.), optical system alignment and testing (EE, MTF, PSF, etc.), and opto-electrical system modeling
Demonstrated experience in the integration, test, and performance requirements verification and validation of optical systems
Experience with radiometry and stray light analysis
Demonstrated team leadership experience and mentoring of junior staff
Knowledge of common materials used in optical systems and limitations of fabrication methods of optics (molded, polished, diamond turned) as well as micro structures

US Salary Range

$143,000—$191,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.