Senior Optical Engineer

about 2 years ago
Full time role
San Francisco, CA, US... more
San Francisco, CA, US... more

Company

Cruise is building the world's most advanced self-driving electric vehicles to safely connect people with the places, things, and experiences ...

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Job Description

We're Cruise, a self-driving service designed for the cities we love.

We’re building the world’s most advanced, self-driving vehicles to safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about. We believe self-driving vehicles will help save lives, reshape cities, give back time in transit, and restore freedom of movement for many.

Cruisers have the opportunity to grow and develop while learning from leaders at the forefront of their fields. With a culture of internal mobility, there's an opportunity to thrive in a variety of disciplines. This is a place for dreamers and doers to succeed.

If you are looking to play a part in making a positive impact in the world by advancing the revolutionary work of self-driving cars, join us.

  • We’re looking for an experienced Senior Optical Engineer to join our sensor hardware team. You will lead the design, development and integration of high performance optics that will be the gateway into our world-class optical sensing systems for next generation self-driving vehicles. You will work with and manage diverse partners. You will be involved in the complete lifecycle of your component and in charge of final outcomes.  

What you’ll be doing:

  • Research and development of advanced optical sensing hardware, including ideation and early concept development, modeling, design, proof of concept assembly, testing, and analysis.
  • Work with software, hardware, systems and test teams.
  • Understand the system level big picture, diagnose complex problems, pursue solutions, and obtain multi-disciplinary partner buyoff with minimal support and oversight
  • Lead projects and own technical writing of proposals, scoping and architecture, specifications, implementation plans, and presentations to leadership.
  • Develop accurate optical models, both lens and system level using simulation software (such as Zemax, FRED, MATLAB/Python), and utilize these models to inform decisions and tradeoffs.
  • Leveraging specialists both within and outside Cruise to ensure your designs are upward compatible and meet AV requirements and budgets
  • Play a key role in implementation of your designs and preserve its integrity during build, post assembly and at different stages of integration and field testing.
  • Own test specifications and compliance and continuously improve design and manufacturability.
  • Work with suppliers on prototype design and manufacturing.
  • Be agile and hands-on to tackle early proof-of-concept projects that require working under ambiguity with lean resources.

What you must have:

  • 5+ years of experience in designing, building, and validating optics at scale.
  • Strong understanding of various links in the imaging (or non-imaging) chain for optical systems and the physics behind them.
  • Fluent in Optical design using Zemax or CODEV
  • Stray light simulation using software such as FRED, ASAP, Lightools.
  • Familiarity with Matlab/Python and similar tools for build data processing and simulation.
  • Experience with testing and troubleshooting for validating optics in both prototype and production scenarios.
  • Strong technical and non-technical communication skills.

Bonus Points!

  • Direct experience managing automotive optics and module integration suppliers.
  • Completed a few product life cycles building cameras.
  • Comfortable with using CAD packages.
  • You’ve had experience designing for long lifetime/high reliability systems.
  • Exposure with image sensor calibration
  • Familiarity with image quality metrics and ISP tuning.

Why Cruise?

  • Our benefits are here to support the whole you:
    • Competitive salary and benefits 
    • 401(k) Cruise matching program 
    • Medical / dental / vision, AD+D and Life
    • One Medical membership
    • Flexible vacation and company paid holidays
    • Healthy meals and snacks provided for non-remote employees
    • Paid parental leave
    • Fertility Benefits 
    • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, subsidized by Cruise
    • Flexible Spending Account 
    • Monthly wellness stipend
    • Pre-tax Commuter Benefit Plan for non-remote employees
  • We’re Integrated
    • Through our partnerships with General Motors and Honda, we are the only self-driving company with fully integrated manufacturing at scale.
  • We’re Funded
    • GM, Honda, Microsoft, SoftBank, & T. Rowe Price, have invested billions in Cruise. Their backing for our technology demonstrates their confidence in our progress, team, and vision and makes us one of the leading autonomous vehicle organizations in the industry. Our deep resources greatly accelerate our operating speed.
  • We’re Independent
    • We have our own governance, board of directors, equity, and investors. Our independence allows us to not just work on the edge of technology, but also define it.
  • We’re Vested
    • You won’t just own your work here, you’ll have the potential to own equity in Cruise, too. We are competing in a market that is projected to grow exponentially, which gives our company valuation room to grow.

Cruise LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace where contributions are valued and celebrated, and our employees thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do the best work of their lives. 

We seek applicants of all backgrounds and identities, across race, color, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, or disability. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on these or other protected categories or social identities. Cruise will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, in accordance with applicable laws.

Cruise is committed to the full inclusion of all applicants. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please let our recruiting team know or email HR@getcruise.com.

We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. To help us track the effectiveness and inclusivity of our recruiting efforts, please consider answering the following demographic questions. Answering these questions is entirely voluntary. Your answers to these questions will not be shared with the hiring decision makers and will not impact the hiring decision in any way. Instead, Cruise will use this information not only to comply with any government reporting obligations but also to track our progress toward meeting our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging objectives.

Vaccine Mandate. 

At Cruise, we’re tasked with leading in the communities we serve — and doing our part to help keep our communities and our teams safe. Our #StaySafe culture transcends and informs all we do, and because of this, as of October 31, 2021 Cruise will be mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all US-based Cruisers who need or want to access any of our US Cruise facilities and engage in any business travel — including attending any in-person Company-sponsored event. 

If you are unable to get a vaccine due to a medical condition, disability, or a strongly-held religious belief, Cruise will consider requests for an accommodation.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: Cruise does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, Cruise does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.

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