# Senior Optical Communications Engineer at Ephemeris

- Company: Ephemeris
- What the company does: About Us We are a pre-seed space networking company working on bringing the internet to space. We believe that access to better digital connectivity is essential for human progress and that space is the frontier of digital connectivity. Backed by a16z and Techstars.
- Company website: https://ephemeris.net
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Senior
- Location: Hybrid (El Segundo, California, US)
- Work setup: Hybrid
- Pay: $150K to $190K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-08-10
- Apply by: 2026-10-08
- Apply: https://ats.rippling.com/ephemeris/jobs/f6557f54-b3a4-43e0-80aa-8041665db66a
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/ephemeris-senior-optical-communications-engineer/

## About the role

You will own optical hardware end to end, across both the transceiver and the free-space link. On the transceiver side, this is the fiber optical signal chain: optical modulators, optical hybrids, photodiodes, lasers, fiber splitters, beam splitters. On the free-space side, this includes telescopes/beam expanders, lenses, mirrors and involves ray tracing, tolerancing, and stray light analysis required to close link budgets in orbit.

## What they're looking for

- Build something that does not exist yet : The unique aspects of this optical system mean it is impossible to buy off the shelf
- Bench to orbit : Your hardware will fly. You will take this from optics on a breadboard to a space-qualified optical terminal
- Build the space internet : Work on technology that will fundamentally change how space networks operate

Tags: Engineering