Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

The Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems Division’s (EISD’s) research is performed in all areas of the imaging chain. From basic geometric/radiometric modeling and analysis, through design and fabrication, to test and evaluation in the field, our team provides subject matter expertise to our customers in order to solve their most challenging problems in undersea, ground, airborne, and space domains. EISD is a collection of multi-disciplinary engineers and scientists encompassing optical, physics, mechanical, electrical, computer, and software domains, among others. Our portfolio consists of research programs in and related to the following application areas: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); Undersea Warfare; Atmospheric Optics; Tactical Imaging, e.g. Degraded Visual Environments (DVE); Automatic Target Recognition; Intelligence Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED); Free-space Optical Communications; Space Situational Awareness (SSA); Tagging, Tracking, and Locating (TTL); LIDAR; Remote Sensing; etc.

Job Purpose

An Optical Engineer leverages knowledge and skills from the fields of optical sciences and optics manufacturing to research, design, model, analyze, assemble, integrate, and test complex EO-IR systems for applications in imaging, remote sensing, and telecommunications. The optical engineer gathers system requirements and translates them into optical specifications, tolerances, and error budgets based on performance/capability objectives and system lifecycle. Derived requirements reflect environmental and platform challenges and constraints such as temperature, vibration, shock, humidity, etc. Performs sensitivity analysis, link budget/radiometry, pointing stability, and stray light analysis through leveraging modeling and simulation tools that also enable analysis of alternatives and trades studies activities. Determines sources for commercial and custom optical components including: lenses, mirrors, holographic optical elements, mounts, lasers, fiber-optics, adaptive optical elements, optical scanners, and metrology equipment. Designs end-to-end optical layouts, optical alignment procedures, and characterization procedures in support of implementation into final systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Layout more complex optical designs in optical modeling software per guidance from more senior engineers
• Perform more complex experiments, calculations, and/or simulations to assess the performance of imaging systems for various sensing applications.
• Conduct more complex data analysis on the results of imaging measurements and/or simulations -Contribute to white papers and proposals
• Contribute to technical reports/presentations of project results

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Experience with at least one optical design and M&S tools (e.g. Zemax, Code V, FRED, OSLO, TracePro, DIRSIG, etc.)
• Hands on experience assembling hardware and/or performing benchtop optical system and/or component testing
• Understand of requirements drivers for EO/IR systems and optical instruments
• Experience with generating documentation for detailing experiments and results
• Familiarity with imaging systems and radiometry
• Ability to obtain and maintain DoD Secret Security Clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Secret Clearance
• Experience working with active and passive electro-optical systems including, but not limited to LIDARs, infrared imagers, hyperspectral imagers, polarimeters
• Software development experience in Python/MATLAB/C/C++
• Experience specifying optical, opto-mechanical, laser, and/or sensor components to comply with system requirements
• Experience developing error budgets for optical performance
• Familiarity with Fourier Optics, Statistical Optics, and Computational Optics
• Experience with image and signal processing
• Experience with SolidWorks
• Experience with optomechanical tolerancing and structural, thermal, and optical performance (STOP) analysis
• Project management and task leadership experience

Travel Requirements

<10% travel

Education and Length of Experience

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 2-13+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Optical Science, Imaging Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or other related discipline.
• 0-11+ years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Optical Engineering, Optical Science, Imaging Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or other related discipline.
• 0-8+ years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Optical Science, Imaging Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or other related discipline.

Please refer to our Research Faculty Technical Level Guidelines for minimum requirements at the higher levels.

U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Clearance Type Required

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Benefits at GTRI

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services.  Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions.  This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.