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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$185K - $200K *

Unlock your potential as a Hardware Engineering Manager, leading innovative hardware and robotics development. Drive strategy, mentor teams, and ensure scalable, reliable systems while collaborating a...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$149K - $160K *

Unlock potential by driving quality assurance and process improvement in semiconductor metrology manufacturing. Collaborate with engineers and management to enhance product quality and oversee impleme...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$95K - $115K *

Lead the charge in developing innovative manufacturing systems for medical devices, ensuring compliance with industry regulations while optimizing processes from pilot to full-scale production...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's driving innovation in etch processes for RF GaAs-based circuits. You'll own process modules, enhance performance, and collaborate across functions to ensure quality and reliability...

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$130K - $160K *

Invent and enhance cutting-edge interactive experiences by bridging design and engineering. Lead the charge in creating user-focused, high-performance interfaces for advanced AI and 3D workflows while...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$106K - $145K *

Transform healthcare technology by developing scalable AI solutions for intelligent applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance production capabilities and ensure secure, reliable...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$119K - $221K *

Grow your career with a strategic role focused on driving innovation and optimizing processes while leading cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives and enhance operational efficiency. En...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$108K - $162K *

Drive high-fidelity simulation design and performance assessments by leveraging your expertise in image processing, physics-based models, and collaborative development within a dynamic team environmen...

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$158K - $238K *

Unlock innovative solutions in advanced packaging development. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, troubleshoot, and enhance complex processes, ensuring high-quality deliverables for cu...

Today

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$150K - $195K *

Elevate product development as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, driving innovative solutions from design to production while collaborating across teams to optimize manufacturability and efficiency in...

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$140K - $165K *

Shape the future of satellite technology as a Senior Flight Software Engineer, driving software design and development for critical subsystems. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver missi...

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$238K - $365K *

Join a team that's redefining lidar technology for autonomy products. Lead the technical strategy, collaborate with experts, and drive innovations from concept to production, ensuring performance and...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$238K - $365K *

Unlock your potential as a principal systems engineer, leading lidar technology development and integration for advanced autonomy systems. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation a...

5 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$135K - $160K *

Join us to transform engineering challenges into innovative solutions. Collaborate with teams to enhance simulation workflows, deliver tailored demonstrations, and drive customer success through techn...

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $200K *

Champion parts engineering and reliability assurance for space missions. Lead selection, qualification, and reliability analysis of components, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure miss...

Reston, VARemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$157K - $176K *

Innovate power integrity solutions by leading cross-functional teams to optimize Power Delivery Networks. Collaborate on architecture design and system analysis, driving projects from conception to va...

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$190K - $230K *

Innovate with us to lead a team in manufacturing test and product validation for high-voltage power electronics. Drive strategy, enhance test systems, and ensure operational excellence across all prod...

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$134K - $189K *

Drive the introduction of innovative products by collaborating with engineering teams and manufacturers. Ensure high-quality production processes and troubleshoot complex systems to enhance efficiency...

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Engage with us to design and test innovative electrical systems for complex autonomous platforms. Collaborate with a dynamic team to tackle technical challenges in power management, embedded systems...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Elevate innovation in embedded software development, driving feature design and performance improvements while collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance product efficiency and customer sati...

Markham, ONIn-Person

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of embedded software development, driving innovation in optical networking. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance product performance and deliver cutt...

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Develop and enhance software features for embedded systems in optical networking. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve product performance and ensure documentation accuracy while driving...

Ottawa, ONIn-Person

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Empower our team by designing and developing innovative software solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance product performance and drive best practices in embedded systems for opti...

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Drive software development and enhance optical networking solutions by designing features, resolving issues, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to improve product performance and documentat...

Markham, ONIn-Person

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$91K - $169K *

Unlock potential by designing and developing advanced light-emitting devices. Lead research on laser technology while creating precise electronic circuitry and optics to meet demanding specifications...

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

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.