Optical test engineer Work, Jobs in Ruislip, Gtl (with Salaries)

Optical Payload Systems Engineer
Foundational —London
- Full-time
- Hybrid work
- Engineering
- Python
Quick apply
Senior Flight Test Engineer
AALTO —Farnborough
- Full-time
- Military
- Word processing
- Engineering
- Employee assistance programme
- Employee discount
Quick apply
Staff Optical Engineer
CoMind —London
- £81,000 - £118,500 a year
- Full-time
- Assembly
- IT
- In-person
- Employee discount
Senior QA Engineer
Wireless Logic mdex GmbH —Reading
- Hybrid work
- Java
- JavaScript
- Computer networking
- Employee assistance programme
Science - Red Team Engineer
iProov —London
- Full-time
- Hybrid work
- English
- JavaScript
- APIs
- Annual leave
- Employee discount
Quick apply
Optical AIV Engineer
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited —Guildford
- Full-time
- Microsoft Powerpoint
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
System Engineer
MBDA —Stevenage
- £46,000 - £55,000 a year
- Overtime
- Hybrid work
- In-person
- Free parking
8d
Optical Engineering Manager
CoMind —London
- £81,000 - £118,000 a year
- Full-time
- Assembly
- IT
- In-person
- Employee discount
Lead Payload Systems Engineer (Space applications)
Unbound Orbits Limited —London
- Full-time
- Hybrid work
- AutoCAD
- System design
- Maths
- Life insurance
Quick apply
Staff Software Engineer
CoMind —London
- £94,000 - £131,000 a year
- Full-time
- C++
- Software development
- IT
- Employee discount
Engineer II – Mechanical Payload
BAE Systems Inc. —Westminster
- £79,365 - £134,921 a year
- Full-time
- Remote
- Doctoral degree
- Engineering
- Master's degree
- Annual leave
- Employee assistance programme
13d
Equipment Requirements Authority – EW RF System
MBDA —Stevenage
- Up to £62,000 a year
- Overtime
- Hybrid work
- Travel
- Free parking
- Annual leave
Senior iOS Engineer
SumUp —London
- APIs
- Agile
- Financial services
- Annual leave
- Life insurance
Quick apply
Senior Software Engineer
Foundation Partners —London
- Hybrid work
- Mentoring
- In-person
- Life insurance
Quick apply
8d
Mechanical Engineer
OLIX —London
- From £102,000 a year
- Full-time
- CAD
- Engineering
- AI
Product Analyst
SumUp —London
- Machine learning
- AI
- Communication skills
- Annual leave
- Life insurance
Quick apply
Software Engineering Manager
CoMind —London
- £93,000 - £131,000 a year
- Full-time
- In-person
- AI
- Employee discount
1d
Software Engineer
White Swan Data —London
- Full-time
- SQL
- Python
Quick apply
Engineering Supervisor
Emcor —London
- £50,000 a year
- Full-time
- Supervising experience
- Employee assistance programme
- Referral programme
Quick apply
Electrical Engineer
Costain —London
- Full-time
- Engineering
- English
- Electrical Engineering

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Optical Payload Systems Engineer

Foundational
London

Quick apply

Job details

Full-time

Qualifications

MATLAB
Engineering
Physics
Python

Full job description

We are Foundational

We're an early-stage, mission-driven startup tackling one of the most exciting and complex challenges in the space domain today: building the most precise understanding of space and Earth using ground-based lasers.

Using satellite laser ranging (SLR) data, we're empowering the next generation of space companies with exquisite data that enables new forms of resilient navigation, Earth observation, and precise space traffic control - essential for the sustainability and resilience of the space domain. This mission, this technology, will be foundational to the future of civilisation.

Our SLR and space debris laser ranging (SDLR) network doesn't stop at the ground. To close the loop on precision, we're building the small optical payloads that fly on-orbit and talk back to our stations. That's where you come in.

What you'll be doing

This is not a theoretical role. You'll help design, build, and test compact optical payloads that ride on small satellites and interoperate with our ground network and our data platform. It's hands-on, physics-first work with a short path from your bench to something that ends up in orbit.

You'll work across the full lifecycle of a payload, from early concept and modelling through build, alignment, and environmental test, alongside a small team of software and hardware engineers who don't draw hard lines between disciplines.

Specifically, you'll get stuck into:

Payload design & build. Contributing to the optical and opto-mechanical design of small space-based payloads - component selection (optics, detectors, sources), layout, tolerancing, and assembly of optical benches and modules.
Modelling & analysis. Building link budgets and performance models covering radiometry, atmospheric transmission, pointing, and detector probability of detection, and using them to make real design decisions.
Integration, test & verification. Assembling and aligning optical hardware, then putting it through environmental qualification (thermal, vibration, vacuum) and performance characterisation - and learning what actually survives launch.
Ground-to-space validation. Working with the ground systems team to validate ranging precision and pointing accuracy end-to-end, so the payload and the network behave as one system.
Owning your corner. Documenting designs, feeding lessons back into the next iteration, and taking genuine responsibility for a slice of the payload as we grow.

What we're looking for

You don't need a decade of flight heritage. We care far more about strong fundamentals, hunger, and the ability to learn fast in a hands-on environment.

Essential

A degree in physics, optical engineering, aerospace/mechanical/electrical engineering, or a closely related field.
A solid grasp of optics fundamentals - geometrical and physical optics, radiometry, and basic detector/laser principles.
Hands-on instincts: you like building, aligning, breaking, and fixing real hardware, not just simulating it.
Comfort with ambiguity and ownership. You're energised by a startup where scope is broad, priorities shift, and no one hands you a fully-specified task list.
Clear communication and a collaborative, low-ego approach to working across software and hardware.
UK citizenship. Our work spans dual-use technology and touches UK and international export controls on ranging, tracking, and orbit-determination. UK citizenship is a firm requirement for this role.

Nice to have (genuinely optional)

Exposure to optical design software (Zemax or Code V).
Any hands-on experience with space hardware, CubeSats/smallsats, optical ground stations, LiDAR, or laser systems - academic projects and competitions absolutely count.
Familiarity with environmental/space qualification testing.
Scripting for data analysis (Python, MATLAB, or similar).
Awareness of laser safety standards (e.g. BS EN 60825).

Why Foundational

Real ownership. A high-impact role with genuine autonomy in a new startup - your contributions directly shape our product and our success.
Cutting-edge work. Meaningful, challenging, complex problems at the frontier of the space domain.
Equity that matters. Government-backed EMI scheme options in a fast-growing, VC-backed company.
A team worth learning from. A dynamic, collaborative environment built on innovation, creativity, and teamwork - with room to grow fast.
A mission you can believe in. What we build underpins the future of Earth observation and space traffic control.

Quick apply

Refine Your Search

optical test engineer jobs in ruislip, gtl

Optical Payload Systems Engineer

Senior Flight Test Engineer

Staff Optical Engineer

Senior QA Engineer

Science - Red Team Engineer

Optical AIV Engineer

System Engineer

Optical Engineering Manager

Lead Payload Systems Engineer (Space applications)

Staff Software Engineer

Engineer II – Mechanical Payload

Equipment Requirements Authority – EW RF System

Senior iOS Engineer

Senior Software Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

Product Analyst

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineer

Engineering Supervisor

Electrical Engineer

I want to receive the latest job alerts for optical test engineer in ruislip, gtl

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