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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$120K - $150K *

Empower a cross-functional team by owning the end-to-end design experience for a key product area, enhancing communication for families and educators while mentoring fellow designers and leveraging AI...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

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

$90K - $110K *

Grow your career with a strategic sales role focused on expanding market presence and nurturing customer relationships. Drive business development and collaborate with technical teams to deliver tailo...

Austin, TXRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$95K - $115K *

Drive strategic growth by developing key customer relationships and expanding market presence through effective technical sales strategies and solutions in the automation industry...

Dallas, TXRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$100K - $120K *

Accelerate progress at the intersection of manufacturing and technology. Collaborate with sales teams to address customer challenges in OT/IT integration, showcasing how our platform delivers value th...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$215K - $270K *

Lead the charge in building a high-performing Solutions Engineering team focused on autonomous site security. Drive technical sales, manage customer engagements, and ensure consistent quota attainment...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$132K - $251K *

Champion innovation in software development as a DevSecOps Software Lead, driving the design and implementation of advanced pipelines. Collaborate with teams to enhance efficiency and foster a culture...

Annapolis, MDRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$225K - $270K *

Lead the charge in Workforce Transformation by measuring AI’s impact, redesigning roles, and shaping skills for the future. Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to anticipate workforce needs and...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $260K *

Lead the charge in delivering high-quality healthcare applications through comprehensive testing and collaboration. Utilize your expertise in QA methodologies and Agile practices to ensure robust solu...

Connecticut, USRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$150K - $180K *

Transform the software development landscape by defining a cohesive end-to-end experience, integrating planning to verification workflows across teams. Lead product strategy and execution, influencing...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $150K *

Deliver innovative engineering solutions across a luxury property portfolio, ensuring optimal maintenance, compliance, and operational excellence. Lead teams, manage vendor relationships, and drive ca...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$95K - $185K *

Deliver impactful solutions as a technical leader to drive system resilience, architect observability, and empower engineers, while establishing strong SLO-driven processes across diverse cloud enviro...

RemoteRemote

1 month ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$180K - $200K *

Champion commercial manufacturing excellence by leading technical operations, ensuring on-time delivery of drug products and APIs, and collaborating with regulatory teams to meet compliance and perfor...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$81K - $131K *

Take ownership of capital sales in MedTech, driving adoption of advanced surgical equipment. Collaborate with healthcare professionals to enhance patient outcomes while achieving sales goals through c...

Seattle, WARemote

Reposted 3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$145K - $270K *

Drive stability by providing surge support for product launches and critical changes, ensuring effective execution and alignment across operations. Collaborate with teams to enhance readiness and swif...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$110K - $130K *

Lead large-scale engineering projects by overseeing design tasks, ensuring compliance, and mentoring team members. Collaborate with project managers to deliver high-quality solutions that meet client...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$195K - $307K *

Take ownership of critical technical programs, transforming strategic business objectives into actionable systems solutions while leading cross-functional teams to optimize and enhance platform perfor...

Seattle, WARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$85K - $117K *

Play a key role in providing advanced technical support for CNC systems, optimizing performance, and collaborating with teams to enhance automation solutions. Engage with customers and partners to res...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$95K - $154K *

Transform customer experiences by bridging engineering and support teams, driving technical issue resolution, and enhancing product deployment. Own the bug-resolution lifecycle while empowering teams...

California, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Transform the future of autonomous ground support equipment by leading product strategy and roadmap development. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure safety, performance, and reliability...

RemoteRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$145K - $160K *

Pioneer data-driven insights by collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance business strategies. Leverage advanced analytics and visualization skills to drive operational improvements and sup...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$113K - $191K *

Innovate by designing and operating scalable data infrastructure for petabytes of data, enabling customer-facing features and analytics across global industries, while enhancing systems for reliabilit...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$72K - $140K *

Accelerate customer success by owning escalated technical issues, collaborating across teams, and mentoring support engineers. Drive product improvements and ensure high-quality support for Calix Clou...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$79K - $142K *

Elevate data-driven decision-making by transforming HR data into strategic insights. Leverage analytical skills and tools to enhance workforce performance and support HR initiatives, ensuring data acc...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$130K - $160K *

Drive the future of structural engineering by leading complex capital projects, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring technical excellence across diverse markets, particularly in healthcare. Collaborat...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$98K - $147K *

Unlock potential by designing engaging, story-driven demonstrations that showcase technology's real-world impact. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create compelling content that bridges prod...

CanadaRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

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.