Senior Principal Laser Engineer

Coherent Aerospace & Defense Inc, Emerging Laser Subsystems Business Unit is seeking a Senior Principal Laser Engineer to lead the development of lasers for military applications.

This laser expert will take a lead role in laser systems engineering, integration, and test, including serving as a chief engineer, directing a team of laser experts, supporting program development and capture and serving as a customer-facing expert.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities


* Chief Laser Engineer - provide optical engineering leadership for internally and externally funded development efforts, with a primary focus on the development of advanced diode-pumped solid-state laser development for military applications.


* New business development - support new business development efforts by interfacing with potential customers, partnering with new business development team, and selling team's capabilities.


* Customer interface - partner with program management and serve as the company's lead customer-facing diode-pumped solid-state laser expert.

Education & Experience

M.S.

or Ph.D.

in optics, applied physics, physics or electrical engineering.

Requires a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience with a Master's degree or 9 years of experience with a Ph.D.

or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Experience substantially greater than these minima are highly preferred.

Skills


* Must have successfully developed complex laser systems and have broad and deep experience in solid-state laser design.

Must be intimately familiar with the physics of rare-earth-doped lasers and amplifiers from the NIR to the SWIR, bulk-optic cavity design and their components and with the effects limiting laser performance.


* Must have extensive experience modeling solid-state lasers and amplifiers (e.g.

gain shapes, noise figure, cavity designs, stability, dynamics).


* Experience designing complex laser systems for military or space applications is strongly preferred.


* Must have experience working with potential customers, development program proposals.


* Must have experience serving as the primary technical representative on laser development programs.


* Must have experience constructing and tracking progress against detailed development plans.


* Experience with phased-gated developments and design for volume manufacturing is preferred.


* Experience with laser technology transfer, development of assembly instructions and low-rate initial production is desirable.


* Must be a self-starter, able to multi-task, work independently under consultative direction and collaboratively in a matrix managed organization.


* Must have experience leading a group, delegating objectives and tasks to others to achieve goals.


* Must be able to work on significant and unique issues where analysis of situations and data requires evaluation of intangibles.


* Must have excellent written and oral communication skil...