Optical Combination Alignment Engineer in Space Optical Instruments AIT (m/f)

Location: Cannes, France

Let's build a future of trust together

Thales is a world leader in high technology, specializing in three business sectors: Defense & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cyber & Digital. It develops products and solutions that contribute to a safer, more environmentally friendly, and more inclusive world. The Group invests nearly 4.5 billion euros per year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas of innovation such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum, cloud technologies, and 6G. Thales has nearly 85,000 employees in 65 countries.

Our commitments, your benefits - Success driven by our technological excellence, your experience, and our shared ambition

• An attractive compensation package
• Continuous skill development: training courses, academies, and internal communities
• An inclusive, caring environment that respects employee work-life balance
• Recognized societal and environmental commitment

Your daily life

The Cannes site is responsible for the design of satellite systems & platforms, the assembly/integration/test of satellites, as well as in-orbit operations. The site has expertise in optical instrumentation and avionics.

YOUR DAILY LIFE

Within the AITCUO department (Assembly, Integration, and Test of Optical Payloads), the electro-optical performance service has the following objectives: the alignment and characterization of space optical instrument performance. The optical quality alignment engineer will work in close collaboration with other AIT CUO professions, in a context where the performance obtained through alignment can only be achieved through work involving all AIT professions (mechanical integration, optical alignment, electrical, signal processing, detection). They will be in charge of the study, definition, development, and execution of optical and performance tests which implement almost systematically specific Optical Ground Support Equipment. You will be responsible for the various tests:

• Choosing the most suitable method,
• Uncertainty budgets associated with these tests,
• The specification and "brand" monitoring of the realization of optical ground support equipment, either at a subcontractor or through internal realization (measurement benches, for example).
• Writing acceptance, alignment, and test procedures,

Mission performed at all levels:

• Component: detector, mirror, lens
• Sub-system: Telescope/optical combination/focal plane alignment, detection sub-assembly, optical combination
• System: instrument and satellite

YOUR PROFILE

With training in Optics / Space (such as Institut d'Optique, ENSSAT, Master OSAE, Polytech), do you have 5 years of experience in a similar position in a complex environment? Do you master the different techniques necessary for optical alignment:

• Fizeau-type interferometric measurement
• Precision budget required for alignment
• Instrumental technique
• Dimensional measurement
• Skill level in signal processing / scientific data processing and WFE analysis in MATLAB, PYTHON, ZMAX

You have experience in:

• The use of interferometers or wavefront analysis
• The use of probes/3D measurement arms/alignment techniques (laser tracker/videogrammetry)
• The use of hexapods, precision mechanisms

Possessing a good level of English, do you have knowledge of the different phases of an optical payload AIT? Your spirit of in