Senior Optical Engineer Jobs

Explore Senior Optical Engineer opportunities with organizations developing advanced optical and photonic technologies. Ladders features vetted professional roles paying $100,000 or more, including positions focused on optical design, imaging systems, lasers, and precision instrumentation.

What Senior Optical Engineers Do

Senior Optical Engineers design, analyze, test, and refine optical systems and components. Their work may span lenses, cameras, sensors, lasers, fiber-optic systems, imaging instruments, and optoelectronic devices. They often use optical modeling and simulation tools, guide prototype development, interpret test results, and collaborate with electrical, mechanical, software, and manufacturing teams to bring products from concept to production.

Common Skills and Qualifications

Employers commonly seek a degree in optical engineering, physics, electrical engineering, or a related technical field, along with substantial experience developing optical systems. Relevant skills may include optical design and analysis, imaging and illumination, tolerance analysis, metrology, laboratory testing, laser safety, and familiarity with tools such as Zemax OpticStudio or CODE V. Senior roles may also call for technical leadership, clear communication, and experience mentoring engineers or coordinating cross-functional projects.

Industries and Career Opportunities

Senior Optical Engineers work across aerospace and defense, medical devices, semiconductors, telecommunications, consumer electronics, scientific instrumentation, and photonics. Depending on the employer, roles may emphasize research and development, product engineering, systems integration, manufacturing support, or technical program leadership. Browse opportunities to find positions aligned with your specialties, experience, and career goals.

Find Senior Optical Engineer Jobs on Ladders

Search vetted Senior Optical Engineer jobs paying $100,000 or more on Ladders. Review role requirements, compare opportunities, and discover professional positions where your optical engineering expertise can make an impact.

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$135K - $160K *

Engage with engineers to enhance developer workflows and tools. Own the product lifecycle from discovery to adoption, ensuring high-quality internal software that meets user needs and drives efficienc...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$120K - $195K *

Drive the development and maintenance of low-level CPU firmware and BIOS software, collaborating with hardware engineers and vendors to ensure reliable system initialization and booting across all pro...

Vancouver, BCRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$110K - $130K *

Champion innovative engineering solutions by leading multi-site projects, enhancing infrastructure, and driving operational improvements to ensure safety and efficiency across facilities...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Food & Beverages

$224K - $431K *

Engineer cutting-edge performance models for coding tasks, enhancing large language models through empirical analysis and optimization. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate insights in...

Colorado, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$162K - $290K *

Elevate your career by shaping the technical direction of our Developer Experience team. Collaborate on cutting-edge AI coding tools and scalable infrastructures that enhance productivity across the e...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$184K - $287K *

Transform production infrastructure by automating bare-metal provisioning and enhancing GPU capacity management. Collaborate across teams to ensure reliability and efficiency in AI workloads, driving...

Santa Clara, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$160K - $322K *

Transform the future of AI factories by leading technical content development. Partner with cross-functional teams to create cohesive narratives, guide demo development, and influence strategy across...

Santa Clara, CARemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$169K - $220K *

Join a team that's dedicated to transforming healthcare through innovative software solutions. Collaborate with engineers and healthcare professionals to build systems that enhance patient care and st...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$113K - $169K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of software applications by providing technical expertise and customer solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive product development and enhance...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$125K - $172K *

Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing clinical practices in healthcare. As a strategic advisor, you'll collaborate with internal teams and customers, driving education and best practices while ens...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$150K - $170K *

Develop high-performance Drools rules for a large-scale underwriting platform, ensuring deterministic and explainable decisions. Collaborate on architecture, optimize rule execution, and mentor junior...

New York, USRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$120K - $195K *

Drive the development and execution of strategic projects for radioisotope production facilities. You will lead cross-functional teams to ensure operational readiness, regulatory compliance, and succe...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$202K - $253K *

Shape the future of cardiometabolic care by driving backend architecture and cross-functional collaboration. Lead technical direction, mentor engineers, and deliver scalable solutions that enhance mem...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$130K - $160K *

Transform the user experience and operational workflows in a complex two-sided marketplace. Lead product initiatives that enhance clinician and district interactions, streamline processes, and drive i...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$120K - $145K *

Drive execution of complex technical initiatives, translating business vision into actionable programs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with company objectives and measurab...

RemoteRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$152K - $287K *

Join a team that builds and operates large-scale GPU infrastructure for AI workloads. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop automation and tools, ensuring reliability and efficiency in pr...

Santa Clara, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$171K - $321K *

Join a team that's redefining global Learning Services strategy and execution. Lead a multidisciplinary group to modernize digital learning, enhance customer engagement, and drive business growth thro...

RemoteRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$100K - $120K *

Drive impactful employee and change communications across the organization, enhancing engagement and understanding. Collaborate with leaders to create clear messaging and effective strategies that sup...

Alabama, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Join a dynamic team to drive technical vision and operational excellence in cloud-native platforms. Lead engineering efforts, champion security practices, and empower talent while ensuring system stab...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Innovate within the AI Platform team by designing and operating core components for AI-driven solutions, focusing on model serving, agentic infrastructure, or observability. Collaborate across teams t...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$157K - $242K *

Join as a founding leader to define and drive hardware system architecture, ensuring technical integration across multiple domains. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop, validate, and sc...

Boston, MARemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$157K - $242K *

Transform your career by driving system architecture and integration in the development of mission-critical hardware. Partner with engineering leads to define requirements and ensure cohesive subsyste...

New York, NYRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$157K - $242K *

Join a team that's shaping groundbreaking hardware solutions by defining system architecture, integrating cross-functional requirements, and leading technical direction for complex, production-ready d...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$157K - $242K *

Pioneer system architecture and integration across multiple engineering domains. Drive the design and validation of complex hardware systems, ensuring cohesive production readiness by collaborating wi...

Scottsdale, AZRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Unlock potential by developing innovative virtual calibration environments that enhance simulation-based workflows. Collaborate cross-functionally to improve calibration processes and support the inte...

Milford, MIRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a Senior Optical Engineer do?question toggle

    A Senior Optical Engineer designs, models, tests, and improves optical systems and components, such as lenses, imaging devices, lasers, sensors, and photonic systems. The role may also involve technical leadership and collaboration across engineering and product teams.

  • What qualifications are commonly required for Senior Optical Engineer jobs?question toggle

    Requirements vary by employer, but many positions seek a degree in optical engineering, physics, electrical engineering, or a related discipline, plus significant experience with optical design, analysis, testing, and measurement.

  • Which industries hire Senior Optical Engineers?question toggle

    Common employers are found in aerospace and defense, medical technology, semiconductors, telecommunications, consumer electronics, photonics, and scientific instrumentation.

  • What skills are useful for Senior Optical Engineers?question toggle

    Useful skills include optical modeling, lens and imaging design, tolerance analysis, metrology, laboratory testing, laser safety, and experience with optical design software. Senior positions may also require project leadership and cross-functional communication.

  • What salary range can I expect for a Senior Optical Engineer job on Ladders?question toggle

    Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more. Actual compensation depends on factors such as location, experience, industry, and role responsibilities; review individual listings for details.