Staff Optical Engineer

Description The Staff Optical Engineer serves as a senior technical expert responsible for leading the architecture, design, analysis, and delivery of advanced optical systems and technologies. This role drives innovation across imaging, illumination, and opto-mechanical systems while mentoring engineering teams and guiding complex product development from concept through manufacturing release.

The Staff Optical Engineer is recognized as a key technical expert and collaborates cross-functionally to influence product strategy, solve high-impact engineering challenges, and ensure world-class optical performance.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Lead the development of next-generation optical architectures, imaging systems, illumination systems, and custom opto-mechanical assemblies.
• Define optical system requirements and translate them into detailed design specifications.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on geometrical optics, physical optics, laser systems, and optical metrology.
• Drive innovation by evaluating emerging technologies, materials, and design methodologies relevant to product roadmap needs.
• Perform advanced optical modeling, simulation, and optimization using industry tools such as Zemax, Code V, FRED, and LightTools.
• Conduct complex tolerance analyses, sensitivity studies, stray-light analysis, and system performance modeling.
• Lead root-cause investigations for optical performance issues across prototypes and production systems.
• Establish optical design, best practices, quality standards, and review processes.
• Oversee and participate in hands-on laboratory work, including optical assembly, alignment, and performance characterization.
• Guide development of metrology methods and test stations using interferometers, autocollimators, spectrophotometers, lasers, and custom equipment.
• Validate system performance through data analysis of MTF, wavefront error, distortion, noise, and other key metrics.
• Partner with mechanical, electrical, systems, and manufacturing engineering teams to ensure robust opto-mechanical integration.
• Provide strategic technical input during concept reviews, design trade studies, risk assessments, and product design reviews.
• Work closely with vendors and suppliers to evaluate components, materials, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Mentor junior and mid-level optical engineers in design methodology, laboratory techniques, modeling, and best practices.
• Lead technical reviews, provide constructive feedback, and foster growth of optical engineering competencies across the organization.
• Act as a technical representative during customer engagements, requirement discussions, and design presentations.
• Support transition from prototype to high-throughput manufacturing, including tolerance optimization, process documentation, and production troubleshooting.

Skills And Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or related discipline; Master’s or PhD strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in optical design, analysis, and testing.
• Deep proficiency with optical simulation tools (Zemax, Code V, FRED, LightTools, or equivalent).
• Extensive experience in imaging optics, illumination design, and opto-mechanical integration.
• Proven ability to lead complex optical development programs with minimal oversight.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to create high-quality technical reports and documentation.
• Hands-on laboratory experience with optical alignment, metrology equipment, and prototype testing.
• Experience guiding products through full development lifecycle into manufacturing preferred.
• Background in system-level engineering and multidisciplinary design preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership of technical teams or project initiatives preferred.
• Experience collaborating with customers, external vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders preferred.

About Optikos For more than 40 years, Optikos® has provided innovative applications of optical technology, both products and services, to commercial, government, and consumer products organizations worldwide. The Optikos engineering team is the largest independent optical engineering group in the world, managing all aspects of instrument design, including optics, mechanics, electronics, and software systems, in addition to our in-house IQ Lab™ Services to benchmark and assess the performance of customer lens or camera systems. We develop innovative products in the life sciences, aerospace and defense, industrial, and consumer markets, and our experience with a wide variety of applications has enabled our staff to generate creative solutions to some of the most challenging optical problems. Our team continues to improve existing metrology product lines and develop new products that Optikos manufactures and installs around the globe.

If you are an enthusiastic, team-oriented individual looking for a challenge and the opportunity to continue to develop professionally, send us your resume.

This is a 100% in-office position located in our headquarters in Wakefield, Massachusetts. We offer competitive compensation packages along with a challenging and stimulating environment.

Optikos is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status. We do not sponsor employment visas for this position.