Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Key Skills

Java Programming, Python Programming, C++, C Programming, SQL, Cloud computing, Scala Programming, Machine learning techniques, Data science techniques, MATLAB Programming, PyTorch, TensorFlow, R Programming

Job Description

At Kairos Aerospace, we combine innovative aerospace systems with advanced data science. Unlike traditional aerospace companies, we sell information, not hardware - we operate our sensors cost-effectively at continental scale to produce novel data streams about pressing global problems.

First on our list: spotting hard-to-monitor emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change. Since starting continuous survey operations in 2018, Kairos has removed methane emissions equal to over 21.3 million tonnes of CO2e through our work. To put that in perspective, that’s equivalent to over 4.6 million cars being removed from the roads or shutting down about forty 350 MW coal-fired power plants for a year.

We call that a good start.

As a team, we love science and engineering, we love getting our hands dirty with hardware and software, and we love seeing our work make a difference in the real world.

We’ve created a diverse, collaborative, supportive, and fun environment based on integrity and treating people right. So no matter your sex, gender, sexual identity, gender identity, race, age, beliefs, sexual orientation, or disabilities, we welcome you and would like to work with you. :-)

It’s never boring, it’s always challenging, and we’re usually laughing.

A note of encouragement: If you don't meet 100% of the qualifications below, you should still seriously consider applying. Studies show that you can still be considered for a role if you meet just 50% of the role's requirements.

Individuals with a disability are encouraged to contact interview.accommodations@kairosaerospace.com to request assistance with your application and accommodations in advance of your interview. 

Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Accurately detecting and quantifying methane emissions requires robust hardware solutions that scale. Hardware at Kairos requires tight integration of short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras, LiDAR systems, optical cameras, and GPS/INS systems using in-house software to collect the data needed to accurately detect and pinpoint methane plumes. The sensing systems are the forefront of our data pipeline and act as a critical lever to determine how effective our platform is at finding emissions. We are looking for curious and passionate engineers to help scale our hardware solutions and, as a result, mitigate climate change in an actionable and tangible manner.

An ideal Opto-Mechanical Engineer for this position is someone looking to apply experience from working with previous imaging systems, ideally a LiDAR platform, to a novel design that we will integrate with an aircraft. At the same time, you will assist in the scaling and continued development of our current SWIR imaging platform.

In this role, you will be working in a small, enthusiastic hardware team alongside experienced technicians, flight software engineers, and other hardware engineers. Specifically, some of the day to day tasks include assisting with the design and layout of electrical components, running lab tests on prototypes, and contributing to the mechanical design of the housings.

Required:

• At least 2 years of experience, startup experience strongly preferred
• Experience with LiDAR systems
• Experience working in a Linux environment 
• Ability to work in Sunnyvale, CA office 3+ days per week

Desired:

• Experience working on an aerial LiDAR system highly desired
• Experience reading and writing Python
• Proficient with CAD tools
• PCB design
• Life at Kairos

A few important facts about working at Kairos Aerospace:

• We provide health, dental, and vision insurance, including subsidized coverage for dependents. Our 401K plan provides a 50% employer match on employee contributions up to 8%.
• We think death-march hours are a bad way to run a company. We expect something approximating a 40-hour workweek, but mostly we just care that your work gets done. No, really. (Full disclosure: we occasionally put in some extra hours during crunch periods, but that is the exception, not the norm).

We do not track vacation time, nor do we have set hours to be in the office. Instead, we encourage taking real vacations, mental health days, leaving early to pick up the kids, working from home, time-shifting commutes, staying home when you're sick, ducking out to the gym - we believe work time should be flexible.

In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have transitioned to 100% remote work aside from hardware, flight operations, operations engineers, or any role that specifically states it is in the office. For most positions, we plan to continue having remote opportunities in perpetuity.