Chief Engineer

Attalon is a U.S.-based aerospace and defense technology company formed through the 2025 carve-out of Coherent's Aerospace & Defense division by Advent International. Attalon designs and manufactures mission-critical optical systems, precision coatings, and advanced laser subsystems for ISR&T, space, missiles, and directed energy applications. **Chief Engineer** The Chief Engineer (CE) will lead technical oversight and innovation of projects within the Design Engineering department, with an emphasis on advanced optical design. This role requires expert-level experience in optical design while ensuring systems-level oversight, manufacturability, testability, and compliance with design rules and requirements. The CE will play a key role in guiding and evaluating designs for innovative optical, opto-mechanical, and electro-optical components, systems, and subsystems—primarily for aerospace, military aircraft, space, and commercial applications. During high-demand periods, this position will require hands-on optical design and analysis contributions. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Attalon, the CE will oversee assigned projects, analyze complex requirements, develop optical imaging system concepts, and deliver detailed reports, technical proposals, and presentations. **Responsibilities** - Provide technical oversight across engineering activities to ensure designs for precision optical systems, subsystems, and instruments meet industry-leading technical performance, producibility, and cost requirements. - Monitor and mentor engineers, ensuring they act as Responsible Engineers for "cradle-to-grave" technical leadership on projects. - Conduct reviews, direct engineering designs, and guide manufacturing engineering and testing processes, ensuring alignment across departments. - Drive consistent adherence to Attalon’s design standards by improving documented processes and methods, fostering design consistency and high success rates. - Review manufacturing processes, work orders, and assembly procedures to ensure completeness, correctness, and efficient implementation. - Oversee preparation of Acceptance Test Plans (ATPs) and procedures to ensure efficient product testing. - Collaborate directly with manufacturing to ensure the proper production, assembly, and validation of components and systems; train assembly personnel in the correct use of processes and tools. - Support Marketing and Program Management with technical proposals and strategies that drive competitive advantage. - Monitor program budgets and schedules, ensuring early identification of risks, cost overruns, or delays while working closely with Program Management to address them effectively. - Stay current with emerging technologies and advancements in optical engineering, mechanical engineering, and optical-related manufacturing/testing. - Lead by example, adhering to company policies, procedures, and objectives while maintaining a collaborative and inclusive environment that fosters innovation. - Support customer and cross-department communication by sharing ideas constructively, addressing issues effectively, and promoting teamwork. - Be available for flexible hours, as required, to meet customer commitments and travel extensively for internal and external meetings, customer interactions, and project reviews. **Minimum Qualifications** - Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Optics or a related field. - At least 15 years’ experience in optical design for aerospace, space, or military applications. **Preferred Qualifications** - Experience overseeing designs that were manufactured into functioning optical systems, tested on-site, and delivered successfully to customers. - Expertise in testing optical systems using interferometric, MTF, and Encircled Energy techniques. - Strong background in optical tolerancing, manufacturing comparisons, and analyses of thermal effects on optical systems. - Proficiency with MATLAB software for complex optical analyses and calculatio…