Computational Imaging Scientist

About the role

The Leidos Defense Space Business Area is seeking an Optical Engineer specializing in Computational Imaging to support the Emerging Space Systems Division in San Diego. The work centers on meta-optic-enabled computational imaging systems for edge processing on next-generation space missions, within programs funded by customers and internal research and development.

Key responsibilities

• Support the design, modeling and experimental validation of infrared meta-optic systems integrated with digital reconstruction and inference algorithms.
• Develop and apply computational imaging models linking optical design, image formation, detector response, calibration, reconstruction and inference performance.
• Contribute to simulation tools and algorithms for hybrid optical-digital imaging systems, including forward image-formation models, inverse-problem formulations, reconstruction algorithms and end-to-end optimization.
• Support design trades and system-level evaluations of image quality, signal-to-noise ratio, reconstruction fidelity, classification performance, robustness and computational complexity.
• Work with senior engineers and cross-functional teams to evaluate emerging optical technologies such as metaoptics and optical computing systems, analyze experimental data and document results for internal R&D and program efforts.

Required profile

• BS in Physics, Materials Science, Optics or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience, or MS with 6+ years; a doctorate in a technical domain may be held.
• Demonstrated research or development experience in computational imaging or a closely related field.
• Experience with Fourier optics, wave propagation, diffraction and coherence theory.
• Experience with optimization methods in computational imaging, such as gradient-based optimization, regularization or statistical estimation.
• Familiarity with machine-learning-based reconstruction or inference methods, including convolutional neural networks.
• Programming in Python with scientific-computing and machine-learning tools (NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow); MATLAB or C++ may also be applicable.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Preferred qualifications

• Active Secret clearance with ability to obtain a higher-level clearance (TS/SCI).
• Experience with optical system design or modeling in Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V, FRED or equivalent.
• Experience developing machine-learning-based image reconstruction, detection or classification systems.
• Laboratory experience including optical alignment, imaging-system testing, detector characterization or optical characterization.
• Familiarity with diffractive optics, meta-optics, metasurfaces, nanophotonic inverse design, or electromagnetic modeling tools such as COMSOL or Ansys Lumerical.
• Research record shown through publications, patents, conference presentations or developed systems.

Pay range: $107,900 - $195,050.