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LEAD ENGINEER - PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - Laser Development Engineer - Boulder, CO

Southwest Research I

Boulder, COJob$118–220K/yrSeen 6 days agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$118–220K/yr
Location
Boulder, CO
Work Authorization
Not specified

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Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Valid Driver's License

Job overview

The Lead/Principal Laser Development Engineer supports research and development of experimental laser-based spaceflight instrumentation, from concept through flight-instrument delivery. The role works with scientific personnel on design, fabrication, integration, and testing, and provides engineering expertise for laser systems. Work includes optical-laboratory experiments, optomechanical systems, and hands-on operation and maintenance of lasers and related laboratory equipment.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Optics ModelingLaser Systems DevelopmentOptical Design SoftwareLaser OperationLaser EngineeringLaser System DesignVerification PlanningVerification Execution

Qualifications

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD or Related Engineering Degree8+ Years Optics Modeling Experience7+ Years Laser Operation Experience3+ Years Laser System Design ExperienceValid Driver's License

Full job description

As a recognized leader in space science research and spacecraft instrumentation, avionics, and electronics, we work to reveal the secrets of our solar system and the universe. ##### Objectives of this Role: - Participate in the research and development of experimental, laser-based, spaceflight instrumentation enabling scientific investigations across the Solar System. - Contribute to the design, development, and hands-on fabrication, assembly, integration, and test of instrumentation systems from concept to flight instrument delivery. - Support the division in cutting edge research involving pulsed lasers, mass spectrometry and high-speed data acquisition systems. - Provide expert engineering for selection, operation, and maintenance of laser systems. - Experience in laser safety for all wavelengths, lab safety, HV safety, chemical safety, and vacuum safety ##### Daily and Monthly Responsibilities: - Work with scientific personnel to design, build, and test laser-based instrumentation. This includes operating, maintaining, and aligning high power lasers including diode fiber lasers, YAG lasers, OPO lasers, TiS lasers, fs-lasers, and optical/laser design. - Hands-on work with ultra-high vacuum systems, pressurized gases, cryogens and high-voltage systems. - Lead the design, fabrication and performance validation of various optomechanical systems and interfacing with external vendors to procure instrumentation hardware, system sub-components and laboratory test equipment. - Experimental data collection in an optical laboratory environment. - Maintenance to include working with flash lamps, minor electronics repair, cooling system maintenance and repair, and the ability to set up laser control through timing boxes and LabVIEW control. ##### Requirements: - Requires a Bachelors, Masters or a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Quantum Engineering or other related engineering degree field with relevant focus on lasers. Advanced degrees will be considered in lieu of some years of related industry work experience. - 8+ years: Optics modeling and development for laser systems. Experience with optical design software (ZEMAX or similar). - 7+ years: Laser operation and engineering for one or more of the following: diode lasers, external cavity lasers, laser optical systems and components, laser spectrometers, laser diffraction and vis/NIR detectors. - 3+ years: Design of laser systems to requirements, verification planning, and execution. - A valid/clear driver's license is required. ##### Special Requirements: Work assignment is in Boulder, Colorado. ##### Job Locations: Boulder, Colorado Salary Range: $117,894.00 - $220,126.00

How this job compares

Set against the 1,095 open Research Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 27, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$118–220K/yr
  • Colorado median$113–180K/yr21 salary ranges
  • US median$149–274K/yr784 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $169K, is 11% above the Colorado median midpoint ($153K) — in the top quarter of Research Engineer salary ranges in Colorado.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 24 open Research Engineer jobs in Colorado and 1,095 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Colorado
Experience
This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience — more than three in four Research Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 4 years, across 610 postings).
Education
438 of the 1,095 open Research Engineer jobs (40%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 27, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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