Staff Optical Systems Engineer

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness. We are seeking a talented Staff Optical Systems Engineer to join our team to drive optical systems development of our multiomic discovery platforms, from concept to commercialization. This is a great opportunity for candidates with a strong background in optics, expertise in imaging systems and passion for technology development. Strong engineering fundamentals, rigorous critical thinking, and a methodical approach to troubleshooting and data analysis are essential skills. This role will report to our Senior Director, Systems & Optical Engineering and will be an on-site San Diego based role . If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role. Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Drive requirements gathering, design, review, and verification of optical components and systems Contribute to the development of optical modules, schematics, simulations, analysis and technical specifications Build and integrate complex optical systems that include imaging, illumination, and autofocus systems Develop and implement testing methodologies and breadboards to characterize optical component and system performance Perform troubleshooting and root cause analysis Evaluate design trade-offs for performance, cost, and manufacturability and ensure successful production transfer (NPI activities) Undertake vendor identification, evaluation, selection, and collaborative project management activities Conduct theoretical and experimental research into new imaging technologies and approaches that support innovation in our