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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$163K - $306K *

Champion the future of laboratory innovation by leading global product strategy, connecting emerging technologies and customer insights to drive impactful business initiatives across diverse markets...

RemoteRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$192K - $289K *

Elevate enterprise-level IT solutions by leading architecture and engineering for a diverse portfolio of ~190 platforms. Drive technical performance and strategy, collaborating with senior leaders to...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   15+ years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's redefining customer success in cybersecurity, driving engagement, onboarding, and adoption through innovative solutions. This role combines communication, relationship management, a...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$270K - $280K *

Join a team that's driving clinical excellence by overseeing trial execution, managing timelines, budgets, and CROs. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure compliance and quality while mentoring team...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$90K - $115K *

Deliver expert-level service on CT, MR, and X-ray equipment, ensuring optimal performance through preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and emergency repairs across healthcare facilities in a multi...

North Carolina, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$150K - $180K *

Advance our network architecture by designing resilient, scalable solutions across core networks and VPN services. Lead automation and AI initiatives to enhance performance, reliability, and operation...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$100K - $120K *

Accelerate progress at our company by leading the estimating team for innovative utility-scale solar and battery storage projects. Drive precise budgeting and foster collaboration across teams to enha...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$180K - $233K *

Elevate user experiences by enhancing native applications, collaborating cross-functionally to deliver innovative features and integrations, and leveraging your expertise in mobile development to impa...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$179K - $232K *

Shape the future of mobile engagement by enhancing consumer-facing applications. Collaborate cross-functionally to drive innovative features across both iOS and Android platforms, delivering tailored...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$115K - $135K *

Lead the charge in developing high-quality software solutions, mentoring engineers, and driving process improvements. Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance systems and deliver impactful results in...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$117K - $153K *

Join a dynamic team as a Fullstack Software Engineer, driving innovative solutions by building REST APIs and customer-facing components. Collaborate remotely within Canada to enhance engineering proce...

CanadaRemote

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$114K - $190K *

Build a resilient Site Reliability Engineering practice, leading a global team to enhance cloud platform reliability, scalability, and operational excellence while fostering collaboration and continuo...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$132K - $194K *

Champion global market development strategies for bioprocessing filtration, driving portfolio adoption and growth through insights, stakeholder alignment, and innovative go-to-market approaches in a d...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$130K - $155K *

Lead the charge in developing and executing go-to-market strategies for innovative AI products in the defense sector, ensuring effective positioning, messaging, and adoption throughout the product lif...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$132K - $251K *

Shape the future of digital transformation by leading complex data initiatives and driving strategic solutions across corporate functions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance applicatio...

Massachusetts, USRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$92K - $134K *

Pioneer innovative building automation designs, enhancing efficiency and quality. Collaborate with teams to deliver optimized solutions while mentoring junior staff and driving process improvements in...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$250K - $500K+*

Champion innovative mechanical designs for rack-scale AI systems, leading the integration of advanced cooling technologies, and ensuring compliance with industry standards from concept through product...

RemoteRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $150K *

Join a dynamic team to architect and enhance scalable data pipelines, delivering actionable security insights. Collaborate across disciplines to support large data volumes and refine algorithms, makin...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $180K *

Join a forward-thinking team to define and execute design strategy for AI-driven risk management tools, guiding designers and partners to deliver exceptional user experiences that prioritize risk unde...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K *

Lead operational excellence across Independent Living communities, ensuring continuity during transitions. Drive financial performance, enhance resident satisfaction, and support community teams while...

Philadelphia, PARemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$129K - $193K *

Innovate exceptional customer experiences by managing complex global deployments, leveraging expertise in HCM, Payroll, and Financial solutions while enhancing methodologies through effective stakehol...

RemoteRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$110K - $130K *

Transform utility-scale solar and BESS projects by leading commissioning efforts, coordinating testing, and ensuring compliance with standards. Collaborate with diverse teams to enhance processes and...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$110K - $135K *

Collaborate with leaders to manage employee relations and complex investigations, providing expert guidance and risk assessments in a dynamic, regulated environment. Drive best practices and support w...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$185K *

Accelerate software development by leading a team of engineers, driving technical strategy, and ensuring delivery of scalable, customer-focused solutions with operational excellence...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$145K - $185K *

Join a team that's driving marketing excellence by owning and scaling our marketing operations. You'll lead cross-functional projects, optimize tech stacks, and ensure data integrity to enhance pipeli...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information 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.