Optical Systems Engineer

A growing deep tech hardware company is expanding its Melbourne R&D team and is now hiring an Optical Systems Engineer to work hands on with the precision optical equipment at the centre of its technology.

In this role you will work in the laboratory as part of a small multidisciplinary engineering team, learning from experienced engineers how the company's equipment is configured, aligned and tuned, and progressively taking ownership of those hands-on work yourself. Much of the work centres on free space optics, building and adjusting optical paths, aligning and characterising assemblies, and running structured experiments to understand what is limiting a system's performance. When results fall short, you will be the person who works out whether the issue sits in the optical, mechanical, electrical or software side of the system, and who brings clear evidence back to the right person so the improvement can be worked through together. Beyond the lab, the role supports customer deliveries and ongoing technical support, including occasional site visits, allowing senior engineers to stay focused on design and development. It suits someone who loves equipment, enjoys the cycle of testing, measuring and refining, and gets real satisfaction from making a complex system perform better, rather than someone seeking a purely theoretical or research led position. The ideal background is one that combines practical optics with a solid understanding of how hardware and software fit together, rather than deep specialisation in a single discipline.

This is a full time, Melbourne, Australia based role working on site, as the work relies on direct access to laboratory equipment. The position is pitched at an early to mid-career level. For candidates outside Australia, relocation is required, and visa sponsorship and relocation support can be considered for the right person.

Key Responsibilities:

• Set up, align and tune free space optical assemblies and laboratory equipment, working closely with experienced engineers as you build your knowledge of the systems.
• Plan and run hands on experiments and performance tests, keeping clear records and using the results to guide each round of adjustment.
• Diagnose performance issues across the optical, mechanical, electrical and software elements of a system, and work with the relevant engineers to resolve them.
• Help improve equipment and processes so that results become more consistent and repeatable over time.
• Support customer deliveries and technical support, including occasional travel to customer sites.
• Carry out practical hardware tasks such as wiring, crimping, soldering and equipment configuration as part of everyday lab work.

Requirements:

• Degree in optics, physics, mechatronics, electrical engineering or a closely related discipline, with a master's degree or higher preferred.
• Hands on experience building, aligning and tuning free space optical setups in a laboratory, test or production environment.
• A systems level understanding of how optical, mechanical, electrical and software elements interact, with the ability to reason through where a problem originates.
• Practical hardware skills and confidence working with wiring, soldering, instrument setup and troubleshooting.
• Ability to read and write technical documentation in English and communicate clearly with engineers from different disciplines.

Desirable but not essential:

• Background in optoelectronics, optical communications or optical test and measurement.
• Experience from a mechatronics, automation, embedded systems or precision engineering environment.
• Working knowledge of Python or a similar language for instrument control, automation or data analysis.
• Exposure to moving equipment or processes from development through to production or customer use.

Please reach out to [Confidential Information] for more info