Staff Optical Engineer

About the role Muon seeks a Staff Optical Engineer to act as a technical lead on our team in Mountain View, CA or Remote, developing infrared remote sensing instruments. The ideal candidate is a self-motivated expert with a versatile skill set, comfortable diving into everything from conceptual design and error budgeting to precision optical metrology and rigorous hardware execution. In this role, you will be the definitive technical authority for a new optical subsystem, owning the performance metrics while defining and driving the hands-on assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) of critical optical and optomechanical subsystems. Previous experience driving end-to-end optical development, managing stringent performance budgets, and integrating complex electro-optical systems in a fast-paced, small-team environment is required. Responsibilities Own the delivery of optical subsystems to the instrument program as the primary technical lead. Own and manage comprehensive optical error budgets and performance metrics, including image quality (MTF, WFE), stray light, and radiometric throughput (BOL/EOL transmission) from conceptual design through hardware build and test. Collaborate with systems engineering to support cross-functional technical budgets, including thermal constraints and line-of-sight pointing/jitter, ensuring adequate margins throughout development. Define and drive the strategy for optical instrument assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) planning and implementation, leading collaboration across cross-functional teams.