Optical Engineer 

Santa Clara, CA (Onsite)

The Opportunity

We are seeking a hands-on, mid-level Optical Engineer to help develop, model, optimize, test, and productize next-generation spectroscopy platforms and gas measurement products.

Picarro’s products deliver real-time measurements of critical gases at parts-per-billion and parts-per-trillion levels. As an Optical Engineer II, you will join a world-class team developing high-precision systems based on Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS), broadband lasers, fiber-coupled optical architectures, coated optics, and advanced optomechanical assemblies. This role is intended for an engineer with strong optical fundamentals who can apply first-principles reasoning, Zemax-based modeling, and disciplined experimental methods to improve optical performance, robustness, manufacturability, and yield. The position reports to the Director of Spectrometer e

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a practical, hands-on optical engineer with deep curiosity about light, optical components, and optical processes. They are comfortable moving between first-principles analysis, optical modeling, laboratory measurements, and product-level troubleshooting. This individual understands Gaussian beams, fiber coupling, resonator coupling, coatings, optical alignment, tolerancing, and component-level tradeoffs, an