Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer - Photonic Modules
- Location
- San Diego, California, United States
- Work mode
- On-site
- Employment type
- Full-time
About the job
Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer – Photonic Modules. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. At Monarch Quantum, Project Engineers are the technical owners of their modules. You’ll set the optical architecture and lead the program that takes it to production. As our Principal Laser & Optical Project Engineer, you’ll be the senior technical authority for the laser and photonic modules that power our quantum systems, and you’ll shape how we design, qualify, and scale optical hardware across the company. We’re looking for a laser physicist or optical engineer who has shipped laser-based products at volume, many times over, and wants to apply that experience to a frontier technology. You may come from telecom/datacom transceivers, lidar, industrial or medical lasers, semiconductor equipment, or a similar industry. You’ll work directly with executive leadership and build the engineering foundation that our hardware roadmap rests on. What you’ll own: Technical direction
- Set the optical and opto-mechanical architecture for our photonics module portfolio, including source selection, beam shaping and delivery, fiber coupling, alignment strategy, and wavelength, power, and polarization stability.
- Own the performance budgets that tie the modules to system requirements, including optical, tolerance, thermal, and mechanical stability budgets.
- Make and defend the critical trade-offs across optical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal domains, and influence system-level architecture and build-versus-buy decisions.
• Serve as the final technical escalation point for difficult performance, yield, and reliability problems, from the laser physics down to the assembly process.
- Serve as the final technical escalation point for difficult performance, yield, and reliability problems, from the laser physics down to the assembly process.
- Establish DfX (manufacturability, assembly, test, reliability, and cost) as a standard practice across photonic module programs, starting at concept.
- Define scalable assembly and alignment processes, including active and passive alignment, attach methods, and hermetic or environmental sealing.
- Drive design and process changes that improve first-pass yield, cycle time, and unit cost, and own the business case for each.
• Lead strategy for critical laser, optical, and opto-mechanical suppliers, including qualification, second-sourcing, cost reduction, and joint technical development.
- Lead strategy for critical laser, optical, and opto-mechanical suppliers, including qualification, second-sourcing, cost reduction, and joint technical development.
- Own the integrated plan, phase-gate deliverables, and budget for your module programs; manage the critical path and raise risks early.
- Lead cross-functional teams spanning optics, mechanical, electrical, process, test, quality, and supply chain, largely through influence.
- Run design and gate reviews and drive decisions to closure with clear, documented rationale.
• Report program status, metrics, and key decisions to executive leadership.
- Report program status, metrics, and key decisions to executive leadership.
• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
- This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
- MS or PhD in Optics, Photonics, Physics, or a closely related field, with deep expertise in laser physics or applied optics.
- 10+ years of industry experience developing laser, photonic, or optoelectronic hardware, including several years as the technical lead for modules or subsystems.
Skills:
- Shipped multiple laser-based or photonic products from prototype through qualification into sustained volume production.
- Deep hands-on DfX experience (DFM, DFA, DFT, DFR, design-to-cost) applied to optical or opto-mechanical packaging.
- Expertise in opto-mechanical design: tolerancing, alignment sensitivity, thermal and CTE effects, and attach and packaging methods.
- Track record of leading complex cross-functional programs while owning schedule, budget, and technical risk.
- Demonstrated influence beyond your own projects, such as setting standards, mentoring engineers, or shaping product or technology roadmaps.
• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
- This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
- Experience with narrow-linewidth, frequency-stabilized, or NIR/ visible/UV lasers.
- Experience with fiber-coupled modules, free-space micro-optics, or hermetic packaging.
- Experience with reliability qualification (for example, Telcordia GR-468 or equivalent) and statistical process control.
- Experience scaling hardware at a startup or early-stage company, building processes from scratch.
• Patents, publications, or recognized technical contributions in lasers or photonic packaging. Benefits The expected annual salary range for this position is $175,000-$225,000. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
- 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
- 13 paid company holidays
- 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)
From Monarch Quantum's careers page (Workable), checked 29 Oct 2026.
How to apply
- Select Apply on apply.workable.com. It opens Monarch Quantum's own application form in a new tab, run on Workable.
- Fill in the form and upload your résumé there. Jobiwork never sees your application.
- Monarch Quantum will reply to you directly. No real employer asks you for money to apply.
Posted 19 Oct 2026 · checked 29 Oct 2026 · Report this job