Lead Optical Analysis Engineer

Albedo•Denver, CO 80202, US• Full Time

Posted 3 months ago• Aerospace Engineering

Compensation

$192,586–$211,844/year

Job Description

Be one of the Bedo 100

Albedo is making Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) mainstream, building the infrastructure to usher every satellite mission set into this new orbital domain. We build buses, integrated satellites, and turnkey missions for customers to thrive in VLEO, between 200 km - 400 km, where proximity compounds performance & drag self-cleans debris.

As part of the first 100 employees at Albedo, you will have a big impact on Albedo’s trajectory to proliferating VLEO — whether you’re advancing hardware to increase satellite longevity, scaling production for large constellations, building next-gen flight and ground software to push performance, or enabling missions that matter for national security and our day-to-day life here on earth.

How We Operate: Albedo takes a first-principles approach — in space and in business. We move with speed, take calculated risks, and learn quickly. We use AI regularly to create leverage in every discipline across the company. We work in-person at our Broomfield CO HQ to maximize team & company productivity. We work hard & with urgency to compound our first-mover advantage.

Who We're Looking For: Builders who want to own outcomes, not tasks. Systems thinkers who balance precision with iteration while thinking about the big picture. Individuals who are energized by creating a category rather than competing in an existing one. You’ll join a team that has already proven what others said wasn’t feasible and is now scaling & upgrading our VLEO buses & payloads to serve mission sets across sensing, communications, and responsive operations.

If you can feel the excitement running through your veins, apply to be one of the Bedo 100.

Compensation and Benefits:

Employee friendly equity compensation

4% direct matching 401k

Health Insurance: 100% employee coverage & 75% dependent coverage

Parental leave and childcare coverage

Flexible vacation and sick time from day one

12 company holidays

$100 monthly wellness benefit

Relocation package if not based in Denver

What You’ll Do:

Responsible for optical modeling and sensitivity analysis

Converting all low-level wavefront error (WFE) contributions of opto-mechanical design into WFE budget. Working with the opto-mech designers to map the non-perfect aspects of their designs into rms WFE space from mechanical space including thermal-structural dynamics. Identify terms we cannot quantify at various levels of assembly and determine impact/path forward to ensure design closes with integration.

Responsible for set-up optical analysis results of structural-thermal-optical performance analysis (STOP) with inputs from thermal and structural engineering

Responsible for interpretation and analysis of STOP results to and sensitivity analysis to determine next steps in design iteration

Work with team to understand details of design causing results and iterate to optimize the design

Obscuration analysis for opto-mechanical design and as-built

Line of Sight sensitivity matrix analysis for opto-mechanical design and as-built

Field Angle Map (distortion) analysis for opto-mechanical design and as-built

Develop and perform Monte Carlo WFE prediction from current RSS WFE prediction

Manage WFE budget as design progresses to re-allocate terms which can and cannot meet original allocation

Responsibly recommend re-allocation of WFE margin as design matures

Create optical performance merit function(s) for existing system design

WFE accounting for the 1g ground test “mission" and associated uncertainty, each of the different major alignment step missions, and the post-environmental test mission, in addition to the normal 0g mission

Produce overall predicted system WFE maps, and in working with alignment lead engineer, including step-by-step expectations per alignment plan – Including 1g to 0g analytical prediction

Analyze AIT environmental impacts to alignment measurement error

Your Ideal Skills and Experience:

5-10+ years of experience working optical system analysis and optimization

Familiarity with various optical design and analysis software tools

Deep understanding of optical sensitivities, aberrations and what effects them in mechanical design/implementation

Experience with WFE budgets, allocation and budget management

Experience with STOP modeling and the iterative, multi-disciplinary process

Hands on experience optimizing optical systems to reduce aberrations and WFE

Regularly uses AI tools as essential leverage to accelerate work, improve clarity, and multiply output

Albedo does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to Albedo employees. Albedo is not responsible for any fees or overhead related to unsolicited resumes.

Additional Requirements: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. All persons hired will be required to be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled: Albedo is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Relocation: Relocation for this position is available

US CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED

#LI-Onsite

Optimize Your Resume for This Job

Get a match score and see exactly which keywords you're missing

Optimize Resume

Ready to Apply?

This will take you to Albedo's application page

Apply on Albedo ↗

Job Details

Category: Aerospace Engineering
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Denver, CO
Posted: Jan 7, 2026, 06:23 PM
Listed: Jan 7, 2026, 07:12 PM
Last updated: Jan 23, 2026, 07:10 PM
Compensation: $192,586 - $211,844 per year

About Albedo

Part of the growing space & AI ecosystem pushing the frontiers of technology.

View Company Profile Visit Website ↗More Aerospace Engineering Jobs

More Roles at Albedo

Albedo

Software

Senior Flight Software Engineer

Denver, CO$146K - $168K FULL_TIME

Flight Software Engineer

Denver, CO$115K - $135K FULL_TIME

Head of International (Business Development)

Denver, CO$195K - $210K FULL_TIME

Similar Aerospace Engineering Roles

Base Power Company

Aerospace Engineering

Deployment Engineer (Site Survey)

Austin, TX Contract

5 minutes ago

Aerospace Engineering

5 minutes ago

xAI

Aerospace Engineering

Member of Technical Staff - Multimodal Understanding

Palo Alto, CA$180K - $440K Full Time

17 minutes ago

Aerospace Engineering

17 minutes ago

Relativity Space

Aerospace Engineering

Manager, Civil Engineering

Mississippi, United States$142K - $196K Contract

24 minutes ago

Aerospace Engineering

24 minutes ago

View All Aerospace Engineering Jobs

Found this role interesting?

Browse More Jobs

Lead Optical Analysis Engineer

Albedo

Apply ↗

Career Guides

Airbus Defence & Space: What Working There Actually Looks Like

Inside guide to Airbus Defence & Space careers: Ariane 6, Eurostar, Orion ESM programs, salary ranges across Europe, Graduate Programme, and hiring process.

Thales Alenia Space Careers: What You Need to Know Before Applying

Inside guide to Thales Alenia Space careers: Galileo, MetOp, SpaceRider programs, salary ranges, locations across France and Italy, hiring process, and work culture.

How to Write a Resume for Space Industry Jobs

Practical guide to writing resumes for aerospace and space jobs: ATS optimization, keywords by role, translating experience from other industries, clearance listing, and cover letters.

View all articles →