Freelance Laser Systems Engineer

Industry: Aerospace & Defence / Electro-Optical Systems

A leading European aerospace and defence company is seeking an experienced Laser Systems Engineer to support the development of next-generation airborne surveillance and targeting systems.

You will join a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for the development of an advanced EO/IR (Electro-Optical / Infrared) targeting pod designed for military aircraft and UAV platforms. The system integrates laser rangefinding, laser target designation, thermal imaging, optical tracking and sensor fusion technologies to provide long-range reconnaissance and precision targeting capabilities.

Due to increasing customer demand and upcoming flight qualification activities, the business requires additional expertise to support the development, optimisation and integration of critical laser subsystems.

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer with experience in laser systems, photonics, electro-optics, LiDAR or advanced optical sensing technologies .

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimise laser-based sensing and targeting subsystems
• Support system architecture and performance analysis activities
• Define laser subsystem requirements and technical specifications
• Perform optical modelling, testing and validation activities
• Support optical alignment and integration of prototype hardware
• Investigate and resolve system-level performance issues
• Work closely with optics, electronics, FPGA and embedded software teams
• Conduct laboratory testing and environmental qualification activities
• Support integration into airborne and UAV platforms
• Contribute to technical reviews, documentation and customer deliverables

Required Skills & Experience

• 5+ years' experience in Laser Systems, Photonics or Optical Engineering
• Strong understanding of laser-based sensing technologies
• Experience with electro-optical or photonic systems development
• Knowledge of laser transmitters, detectors and optical components
• Experience with optical testing and characterisation techniques
• Understanding of system integration and qualification activities
• Experience working within regulated engineering environments
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills
• LiDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) technologies
• Beam steering or beam shaping experience
• EO/IR systems
• MATLAB or Python
• Zemax or Code V
• Defence or aerospace programmes

Preferred Backgrounds

Candidates from the following sectors are encouraged to apply: