Electrical engineer / Optics engineer / Computer engineer

Opticco LLC | Full-time | Chicago suburbs, Illinois

Opticco is developing high-resolution spectrometers and precision optical hardware for scientific research and industrial applications. Our work brings together optical design, electronics, software, and mechanical engineering to build compact, practical scientific instruments.

We’re looking for a full-time engineer with a background in optical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related field. You should bring strong capabilities in at least one of these disciplines and an interest in working across the others.

As an early member of our engineering team, you’ll work directly with the founder and collaborate with mechanical engineering to move instruments from prototype development toward customer use. This role suits someone who enjoys building, troubleshooting, and taking responsibility for a technical problem from initial requirements through a verified solution.

Your responsibilities will be shaped around your strongest skills and the needs of the instrument, including:

• Optical engineering: Model and evaluate optical systems, assess alignment and tolerance requirements, and help improve spectral resolution, throughput, and stability.

• Electronics and controls: Design, prototype, and troubleshoot sensor interfaces, actuator drivers, control circuits, and other instrument electronics.

• Software and data acquisition: Develop software for camera and instrument control, data acquisition, spectral processing, calibration, visualization, and export.

• System integration: Work across optical, electrical, software, and mechanical interfaces to identify problems and develop practical solutions.

• Testing and validation: Develop test procedures, analyze experimental data, compare measured performance with predictions, and support troubleshooting with the founder and engineering team.

• Product development: Document designs and results, evaluate components and suppliers, and improve reliability, repeatability, and ease of assembly.

We’re looking for someone with:

• A bachelor’s or advanced degree in optical engineering, photonics, electrical engineering, computer engineering, applied physics, or a related field—or equivalent practical experience.

• Demonstrated experience independently developing and troubleshooting optical, electronic, or software systems through professional work, substantial research, or completed engineering projects.

• Depth in at least one relevant area: optical design and instrumentation; circuit design and embedded systems; or software for scientific hardware and data processing.

• The ability to translate an engineering objective into a plan, identify uncertainties, and carry the work through to a documented result.

• A careful approach to measurement, debugging, and technical documentation.

• Clear communication and comfort collaborating in a small team where priorities evolve as prototypes are tested.

Relevant experience could include spectroscopy, scientific cameras, optical simulation, PCB design, microcontrollers, feedback control, Python, C/C++, numerical analysis, image processing, or instrument calibration. Experience taking a prototype toward manufacturing or customer deployment is especially valuable. You do not need experience in every area listed to apply.

At Opticco, you’ll have direct ownership of meaningful engineering work, close collaboration with the founder, and the opportunity to influence both the instrument architecture and the way we develop and test our products. Your contributions will help shape the instruments we put into researchers’ hands.

Apply through Wellfound with your résumé and a brief description of a relevant project. Tell us what you personally designed or implemented, a technical challenge you solved, and how you verified the result. Portfolio links, GitHub repositories, publications, and examples of hardware work are welcome.