Systems Engineering Manager (Optics & Photonics)

Location: Niwot, Colorado, United States; hybrid work with office, lab, and manufacturing responsibilities

Salary: $120,000–$177,000 annual base salary, depending on experience

Company

hirify.global develops micro-contamination monitoring equipment, including light-scattering particle counters, for semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

What you will do

• Lead, mentor, recruit, and develop systems engineers, system test engineers, and optical engineers.
• Own system architecture, subsystem decomposition, interface definitions, and performance budgets across optical, electrical, firmware, software, and mechanical disciplines.
• Govern requirements engineering and maintain traceability from customer needs through verification using JAMA or equivalent tools.
• Lead system integration, verification, validation, test strategy, performance characterization, and risk mitigation.
• Serve as the system-level technical authority, resolving cross-functional technical disputes and leading trade studies, hazard analyses, and DFMEA assessments.
• Partner with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and product leadership on design transfer, production ramp, sustaining engineering, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a scientific discipline such as systems, optical, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or computer science.
• 10+ years of experience in complex instrumentation or precision product development involving real-time systems, optics, sensors, electromechanics, laser light scattering, imaging systems, or related subsystems.
• 3+ years of functional management, people leadership, or formal technical team leadership experience.
• Experience integrating systems across multiple engineering disciplines, with strong analytical, modeling, and experimental validation skills.
• Experience with requirements management tools such as JAMA or DOORS, plus proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, Python, and QBD methodologies.
• Knowledge of control systems, sensor integration, signal processing, and embedded systems.

Nice to have

• Background in optics and photonics or systems governed by complex optical subsystems, including optical-to-electrical detection chains.
• Advanced degree in engineering, optics, or physics.
• Experience leading system test or verification teams, test automation, and cross-functional system architecture programs.
• Experience establishing systems engineering practices or working in regulated or high-reliability industries such as medical devices, semiconductor, or aerospace.
• Working knowledge of stage-gate and Agile product development processes.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary engineering environment focused on quality, safety, professional excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Office, laboratory, and manufacturing work environment with occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds.
• Medical, dental, vision, FSA, life insurance, and an onsite clinic for Colorado employees.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match, vacation, holidays, and leave policies.
• Tuition reimbursement, employee recognition programs, and employee assistance programs.