Senior Optical Engineer

About this vacancy

We are seeking a highly experienced and versatile Senior Optical Engineer to join our advanced R&D organization. You will work on cutting‑edge technologies within the semiconductor and space domains, where extremely high precision, stability, and system performance are essential.

In this role, you will focus on the development, integration, testing, and validation of complex optical systems rather than pure optical design. You will work hands‑on in the laboratory as well as on system‑level challenges, bridging the gap between concept development, experimental validation, and real‑world implementation.

This position is ideal for a senior engineer who thrives in a deeply technical, research‑driven environment and enjoys both system thinking and practical experimentation.

  Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, characterization, and optimization of advanced optical systems for semiconductor metrology, precision instrumentation, and space applications.
• Perform hands‑on optical experiments, including alignment, calibration, diagnostics, and system‑level testing.
• Define and validate optical architectures in collaboration with system, mechanical, and electronics engineers.
• Analyze system performance, identify root causes of optical issues, and implement improvements.
• Drive prototype development, experimental setups, and optical test benches from concept to execution.
• Guide optical integration activities involving lasers, detectors, lenses, mirrors, beam delivery modules, and imaging components.
• Document findings in technical reports, test summaries, performance analyses, and system specifications.
• Support technology roadmaps, feasibility studies, and long‑term R&D initiatives.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to building optical expertise within the team.
• Interact with suppliers, research partners, and external technical teams on optical components and system improvements.

What we expect from you

• 8+ years of experience in optical engineering, experimental optics, or precision instrumentation.
• Strong background in laboratory work, including optical alignment, optical tables, diagnostics, and hands‑on system testing.
• Deep understanding of optical principles such as beam propagation, imaging, polarization, aberrations, and interferometry.
• Experience working on high‑precision systems in semiconductor, aerospace/space instrumentation, photonics, or related high‑tech fields.
• Ability to understand and contribute to full‑system performance, not only the optical domain.
• Experience with optical metrology techniques, laser systems, and precision measurement instrumentation.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills.
• Master’s or Bachelor’s in Optical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related discipline. (PhD is a plus.)

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

• Experience with vacuum environments, thermal effects, contamination control, or radiation‑resistant optics (space).
• Knowledge of semiconductor equipment such as lithography, metrology, inspection, or wafer‑level alignment systems.
• Familiarity with MATLAB, Python, or similar tools for data analysis and experiment automation.
• Experience with interferometry, wavefront sensing, or advanced optical measurement techniques.
• Ability to translate experimental results into system‑level recommendations and improvements.
• Experience in high‑tech R&D environments with rapid iteration cycles.

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