The board
- Where
- Ashburn HQ
- Posted
- Sep 17
Overview Energy is a mission-driven team committed to building a new layer of energy infrastructure: satellites in geosynchronous orbit that redirect solar energy to terrestrial solar projects via passively safe near-infrared light. We're in the earliest phase, where the ground beacon our satellites will point to is aligned, characterized, and field-corrected end-to-end by a small, dedicated team. Headquartered in the Northern Virginia / Washington, DC area and backed by world-class investors, we are advancing the next generation of clean energy technology.
We're looking for an Optics Intern to help with the design and building of our ground beacon from the optical bench to a field test site. The beacon is the pointing reference the satellite system will depend on.
What you'd do
- Hands-on use of beam profilers, power meters, autocollimators, or shear plates
- Telescope operation or astronomical instrumentation experience
- Zemax OpticStudio, Quadoa, Code V, or comparable optical design and analysis software
- Experience writing test or alignment procedures that other people have actually followed
- Demonstrated interest in defense, space, or energy applications
What they want
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor's or master's program in optics, optical engineering, physics, or a closely related field
- Coursework or lab experience with optical alignment: mounts, mirrors, lenses, and beam paths
- Willingness to complete laser safety training and follow protocol without exception
- Careful documentation habits - alignment work is only useful if it's repeatable by someone else
- Able to commit approximately 10 hours per week from September 2026 through March 2027, on-site in Northern Virginia