Optical Design Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Company Overview

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.

Position Overview

Allen Control Systems is seeking an experienced Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Engineer with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) experience to join our engineering team. In this role, you will apply your expertise in optical and infrared sensor systems and DSP to model and predict sensor performance across a range of operational environments, develop and refine system requirements for current and future EO/IR programs, and contribute to business development activities by supporting the creation of technical proposals and customer-facing presentations. The successful candidate will play a critical role in shaping the technical direction of our EO/IR portfolio and helping the organization win and execute new work.

What You'll Do:

• Build, validate, and maintain physics-based and empirical models in Python to predict EO/IR sensor performance, including detection, recognition, and identification ranges across visible, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR bands.

• Conduct sensor performance trade studies that account for atmospheric effects, target signatures, background clutter, optical design parameters, detector characteristics, and signal processing chains.

• Apply advanced DSP techniques to event-based camera data to develop next-generation target detection, tracking, and discrimination algorithms that exploit the high temporal resolution, wide dynamic range, and sparse output of event sensors.

• Develop, document, and flow down system and subsystem requirements for EO/IR payloads, ensuring traceability from customer needs through hardware and software implementation.

• Support the full systems engineering lifecycle, including concept development, requirements analysis, architecture definition, verification planning, and integration and test.

• Contribute to business development efforts by authoring technical sections of proposals, generating performance predictions and supporting analyses, and developing white papers in response to customer needs and solicitations.

• Prepare and deliver technical presentations to internal stakeholders, customers, and partners, clearly communicating complex sensor performance concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including optical engineers, mechanical and electrical designers, software developers, and program management to ensure technical solutions meet program objectives.

• Understand and investigate physics-based phenomenology that could aid in target discrimination, including spectral, spatial, temporal, and polarimetric signatures across relevant operating environments.

• Stay current with emerging EO/IR technologies, threat environments, and modeling tools, and recommend approaches that improve performance, reduce risk, or differentiate the company's offerings.

Required Technical Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum of 10+ years of demonstrated experience with EO/IR sensor performance modeling and analysis, including familiarity with industry-standard tools such as NV-IPM, SSCAMIP, MODTRAN, or equivalent.

• Demonstrated experience with Digital Signal Processing on EO/IR data.

• Working knowledge of radiometry, optical system design fundamentals, detector physics, and atmospheric propagation.

• Experience developing system requirements and supporting requirements management activities.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear technical documentation and deliver effective presentations.

• Proficiency with Python and associated python packages for sensor analysis, DSP and data reduction.

Preferred Technical Skills:

• Master's degree or PhD in a relevant technical field.

• Prior experience contributing to government or commercial proposal efforts, including cost, schedule, and technical volume contributions.

• Background working with airborne, ground-based, or space-based EO/IR systems for ISR, targeting, missile warning, or remote sensing applications.

• Familiarity with target signature modeling, clutter modeling, and image-based performance assessment techniques.

• Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approaches and digital engineering environments.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary

• ACS Equity Package

• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

• Paid Time Off

Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.