Associate Optical Engineer

Primary Work Address: 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147

Current HHMI Employees, click here to apply via your Workday account.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus is a pioneering research center in Ashburn, Virginia, where scientists pursue fundamental questions in the life sciences. Our integrated teams of biologists, computational scientists, and tool-builders innovate research practices and technologies to solve biology's deepest mysteries. HHMI launched Janelia in 2006, establishing an intellectually enriching environment for scientists to do creative, collaborative, hands-on work. We share our methods, results, and tools with the scientific community.

About the role:

The Associate Optical Engineer will rotate through a series of apprenticeships within jET and their time will be dedicated to learning engineering tools and best practices by assisting staff engineers and scientists in ongoing work. Later on, they will be expected to work independently on projects appropriate for a junior member of the jET team. At the end of their term, successful jETis will be given an opportunity to renew their contracts for an additional year with the limit of up to 2 renewals (3 years maximum tenure).

• A competitive compensation package, with comprehensive health and welfare benefits.
• Amenities that enhance work-life balance such as on-site childcare, a free gym, on-campus housing, social and dining spaces, and convenient shuttle bus service.
• Professional development opportunities through internal and external conferences and workshops.
• A diverse team looking forward to exploring how your unique background, talents, and interests could contribute to jETs ability to support science at Janelia.

• Design, develop, assemble, integrate, test, debug, modify, and optimize simple to complex systems, instruments, and one-of-a-kind prototypes for neurobiological research. Applications will include development of systems, sub-assemblies and component parts.
• Study project concepts, objectives, priorities, and requirements as well as analyze user and potential user input to identify and establish performance requirements and test methods for developed systems. Translate these requirements into engineering concepts, designs and plans.
• Estimate upfront costs, and then track time, effort, supplies, and materials costs to enable proper charges to customers.
• Review existing and/or create new detailed drawings, bills of materials, and other documentation to ensure accurate technical records are produced.
• Work collaboratively with internal research customers and a multi-disciplinary jET team.
• Review or coordinate vendor activities to support development as needed.
• Communicate all activities within assigned projects with the research customer, jET team members, Engineering Manager and Director.
• Recommend actions for professional self-development.

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering. Master's degree in Optics or an advanced degree in AMO physics is a plus.
• Strong technical aptitude in optical engineering theory, principles, and practice. Ability to perform optical designs and simulations in appropriate software such as ZEMAX.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including both verbal and written communication.
• Ability to create mechanical parts and assemblies, as well as create necessary fabrication documentation using 3D CAD modeling software packages such as Autodesk Inventor.
• Ability to translate varied and potentially ambiguous customer requests, which will be of a scientific as well as technical nature, into project requirements and design options.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with a variety of clients both in jET as well as researchers.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant optical fabrication, metrology and testing techniques.
• Ability to describe and explain design concepts, theory of operation, usage and instructions for developed designs.
• Ability to work concurrently on multiple projects for various research groups and prioritize tasks so that work is performed efficiently.