Optical Payload Engineer
Tomorrow.io · Golden, Colorado, United States
Posted about a month ago · $150-180k
or apply directly on Tomorrow.io's site. We never take the application ourselves.
Is this posting real?
- This role has been open
- 30 days Tomorrow.io's roles stay open a median of 45 days
- Reposted
- No
- Salary listed
- Yes 76% of Tomorrow.io's roles list one
- Ghost-job risk at Tomorrow.io
- high 14 stale, 0 reposted of 21 open
- Hiring momentum
- 25 roles opened in the last 90 days ↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
- Last confirmed on the employer's board
- 2026-09-17
Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from Tomorrow.io's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for Tomorrow.io.
About this role
As an Optical Payload Engineer at Tomorrow.io, you will be responsible for the development, integration, and verification of electro-optical and infrared payloads for a weather observation constellation. Your role will involve translating mission objectives into technical requirements, conducting performance analyses, and collaborating with various teams throughout the payload lifecycle from design to on-orbit operations.
- benefits
- 2/5
- freshness
- 4/5
- career value
- 4/5
- role clarity
- 5/5
- pay transparency
- 5/5
Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of Tomorrow.io as an employer.
What you need
- 4-7+ years of hands-on engineering experience developing, integrating, testing, or operating EO/IR, imaging, optical payload, airborne sensing, or comparable electro-optical systems
- Strong fundamentals in imaging system performance, including detector behavior, radiometry, signal-to-noise ratio, MTF, and image-quality concepts
- Experience with one or more of the following: imaging sensors, detectors, optical assemblies, electro-optical hardware, focal plane systems, or optical payload subsystems
- Working knowledge of optical performance characterization, calibration, and validation
- Understanding of image-quality and noise contributors including detector noise, stray light, thermal effects, structural stability, and jitter
- Familiarity with performing or reviewing SNR calculations and image-quality or performance budgets
Nice to have
- Exposure to optical alignment, radiometric calibration, environmental testing, or analysis of payload test data
- Familiarity with environmental qualification concepts for spacecraft, aerospace, or similarly demanding engineered systems
- Awareness of spacecraft-level considerations including thermal distortion, radiation effects on detectors and electronics, structural stability, vibration, jitter, and platform-generated disturbances
What you get
- Anticipated salary range of $150-180k
- Comprehensive health benefits
- Unlimited paid time off
- Relocation assistance may be offered/available for certain roles
Worth weighing
- Position requires access to technology controlled under U.S. export control laws, restricting applicants to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and protected individuals
- No specific details on the company's technology stack or tools used in the role are provided
Summarised from Tomorrow.io's posting. Read the full original.
Listed by Tomorrow.io on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-17. PitchMeAI is not the employer.
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