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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$110K - $125K *

Champion an innovative Systems Engineer role, collaborating with tech teams and vendors to advance product development, enhance designs, and tackle complex technical challenges in a dynamic environmen...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $145K *

Lead RF engineering efforts by designing, validating, and troubleshooting subsystems for advanced industrial equipment. Influence product development with innovative solutions while mentoring and supp...

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$140K - $150K *

Collaborate with engineers to develop and test lunar rover technologies, ensuring successful sub-assembly and technology test campaigns while advancing production processes and equipment design...

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$146K - $241K *

Empower your career with a role that bridges RF design and validation, ensuring compliance and performance of cutting-edge hardware. Collaborate across teams to deliver reliable solutions that meet mi...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$146K - $241K *

Transform RF design and testing by collaborating across teams to deliver compliant, high-performance hardware. Ensure reliability and regulatory adherence while innovating solutions for military commu...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$150K - $175K *

Empower product engineering excellence as a Senior Product Engineer focused on NPI of RF components. Lead a dedicated team to enhance manufacturability, yield, and reliability for advanced technologie...

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$130K - $225K *

Advance innovative 3D printing technologies by tackling complex engineering challenges. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to enhance printer performance and develop next-gen solutions through e...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$175K - $200K *

Join a team that's redefining aerospace manufacturing by building cutting-edge satellite structures and integrated systems, ensuring efficient production flows and minimizing risks in a dynamic, high...

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $130K *

Join our team to innovate high-speed electrical connectors, enhancing data transmission solutions. Collaborate with engineers across disciplines to design, simulate, and support cutting-edge products...

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $145K *

Transform technology by developing innovative vision algorithms for robotics, enhancing human-machine interaction, and solving cutting-edge product development challenges in a collaborative startup en...

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$90K - $145K *

Shape the future of integrated air platforms by architecting innovative electrical systems. Collaborate across disciplines to design, implement, and test efficient solutions in a dynamic environment...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$80K - $95K *

Shape the future of photolithography by developing and enhancing processes to drive product capability and manufacturability within a dynamic team focused on innovation and technical excellence...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $130K *

Unlock your potential by driving applied model development in computer vision and machine learning. Collaborate on innovative solutions for object detection, image segmentation, and video analysis whi...

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Transform applied model development in computer vision and machine learning. Lead projects in object detection, image segmentation, and video analysis while leveraging cutting-edge technologies and re...

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$114K - $234K *

Lead the design and integration of advanced power solutions for server architectures, overseeing the entire product lifecycle from concept to production. Collaborate across teams to ensure reliability...

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$81K - $100K *

Build a strong quality assurance framework in automotive manufacturing, ensuring product reliability and customer satisfaction while collaborating with cross-functional teams and utilizing problem-sol...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$200K - $250K *

Unlock potential by managing end-to-end sourcing for data center networking equipment, leading negotiations, and maintaining vendor relationships in a fast-paced, supply-constrained environment to sup...

San Francisco, CARemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$200K - $250K *

Join a pioneering team, taking full ownership of sourcing strategies for optics and switches. Drive impactful negotiations and manage critical vendor relationships to enhance our data center capabilit...

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Innovate with us to advance cutting-edge computer vision applications, tackling complex challenges in object recognition and pose estimation. Join a dynamic team dedicated to enhancing automation and...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$145K - $157K *

Shape the future of medical technology as a Senior Software Engineer, focusing on designing, developing, and maintaining embedded systems for innovative ophthalmic devices. Collaborate across teams to...

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$80K - $110K *

Grow your career with us as you lead design projects for US Navy test facilities, collaborating on innovative electrical solutions. Utilize AutoCAD and your engineering expertise to empower the team t...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$190K - $252K *

Collaborate to design sophisticated tracking algorithms for air and missile defense. Engage in high-performance software development, validating systems through simulation while working with cross-fun...

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$190K - $252K *

Advance the security landscape by designing and implementing innovative tracking algorithms and high-performance systems for radar data, focusing on real-time processing and collaborative integration...

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$95K - $115K *

Drive quality assurance efforts to ensure compliance and excellence in the manufacturing and repair of critical aerospace components. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve issues and enha...

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$95K - $115K *

Advance your career by leading complex manufacturing engineering projects, applying advanced principles to enhance processes, and providing technical guidance to teams. Drive continuous improvement an...

6 days 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.