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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$90K - $110K *

Advance sales growth by leveraging technical expertise in remote sensing and scientific instrumentation. Engage with customers to create tailored solutions, drive revenue, and foster relationships acr...

Bolton, MARemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$260K - $310K *

Transform the engineering landscape by leading dual teams in the Clinical Division, driving technical excellence and career growth, while effectively managing product delivery and leveraging AI capabi...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$180K - $220K *

Drive the strategy and roadmap for enterprise-scale Computer Vision solutions, collaborating with internal teams to define requirements and ensure successful adoption of AI models across product portf...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$202K - $253K *

Elevate your leadership as you drive engineering excellence, overseeing multiple squads from prototype to production. Shape the roadmap, empower teams, and ensure quality delivery while staying techni...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$151K - $176K *

Lead the charge in ensuring compliance and optimization for next-gen satellite communications by translating complex regulations and providing technical guidance across multidisciplinary teams, drivin...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$124K - $232K *

Empower your career with a pivotal role in developing innovative learning solutions for Global Operations, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and collaboration to enhance training effectiveness and...

RemoteRemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$270K - $365K *

Lead a dynamic engineering organization to transform offensive capabilities into proactive defense. Shape strategy, scale teams, and deliver innovative solutions across multiple pillars, ensuring robu...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$137K - $231K *

Empower your career by shaping design systems that enhance user experience. Collaborate with teams to build high-quality, interactive UI across platforms, ensuring accessibility and performance while...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$151K - $195K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of design engineering by developing innovative systems that enhance user experience across web and mobile platforms. Your expertise will drive quality and perform...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$160K - $200K *

Unlock potential by leading technical direction in autonomy systems. Drive ownership of advanced perception, prediction, and planning components with cross-stack influence, facilitating innovation and...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Transportation

$208K - $250K *

Shape the future of Grafana by leading frontend development squads, fostering collaboration and innovation to enhance user experiences. Drive AI integration and team growth while managing strategic pr...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$107K - $204K *

Join our team to lead the development and modernization of a critical software platform, driving architectural updates and AI integration while mentoring junior developers and ensuring compliance with...

Nebraska, USRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$162K - $290K *

Drive the development of cutting-edge AI-driven safety solutions, leading firmware and full-stack initiatives. Collaborate across teams to shape technology strategy and deliver impactful products that...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$102K - $175K *

Lead the charge in shaping innovative planning solutions as a Technical Product Manager. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive product strategy, enhance operational stability, and deliver i...

Jacksonville, FLRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$132K - $173K *

Architect AI-driven solutions that enhance business processes and decision-making. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, develop, and deploy scalable applications, ensuring compliance wit...

Kentucky, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$115K - $194K *

Unlock your potential as a strategic partner to senior Engineering leaders, driving organizational change and fostering a high-performance culture across global teams in a fast-paced tech environment...

RemoteRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $180K *

Champion full-chip physical verification efforts, driving quality and accountability while collaborating cross-functionally to ensure successful tapeout readiness and clean IP delivery...

San Jose, CARemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $180K *

Drive full-chip physical verification efforts, ensuring quality and readiness for tapeout. Collaborate cross-functionally to influence design strategies and deliver clean IP, while leading execution p...

Irvine, CARemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Empower innovation by leading the development of production Generative AI solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, build, and optimize workflows, ensuring operational excellence a...

Florida, USRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$100K - $180K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of server hardware validation. As a Lead Software Test Development Engineer, you'll design and develop test systems, ensuring quality and reliability in large-sca...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$190K - $200K *

Lead the charge in electrical engineering excellence across multiple campuses, ensuring robust design, validation, and energization of critical infrastructure while integrating onsite generation solut...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$131K - $196K *

Unlock potential by developing AI-driven applications and data pipelines. Collaborate with teams to enhance operational efficiency through innovative technical solutions, ensuring quality and scalabil...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Food & Beverages

$180K - $200K *

Elevate healthcare technology by owning mobile and web apps that enhance clinician workflows. Drive product direction, prioritize initiatives, and ensure patient safety while leveraging AI to improve...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$150K - $180K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of ASIC physical design, leading complex SoC implementations, optimizing performance, and ensuring design integrity through collaboration and innovative methodolog...

Irvine, CARemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $165K *

Unlock potential by leading RTL-to-GDSII implementation of high-performance SoCs. Drive advanced FinFET design challenges, optimize PPA, and ensure robust timing closure in a fully remote environment...

Rochester, MNRemote

1 week 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.