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 - $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

$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

$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

$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

$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 *

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

$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

$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

$80K - $95K *

Engage with customers to deliver tailored engineering solutions, driving sales growth and ensuring product success. Collaborate with cross-functional teams while traveling to customer sites to foster...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$80K - $95K *

Empower growth by engaging with customers to develop innovative engineering solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure technical success, travel to customer sites, and contribute to...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$100K - $160K *

Unlock potential by shaping the supply chain from R&D to production. Collaborate across teams to define specifications, manage supplier relationships, and ensure timely delivery of critical materials...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$100K - $120K *

Engage in robotics lab operations, supporting teams with teleoperation, data collection, and mechanical design. Ensure safe experiment setups and effective collaboration across hardware and software w...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$80K - $95K *

Join us to advance battery technology through innovative material development, focusing on synthesis, characterization, and testing of cathode materials. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to dri...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$80K - $95K *

Shape the future of digital marketing by leading and scaling paid acquisition strategies, enhancing media efficiency, and mentoring junior talent to drive qualified appointments for a national optical...

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Transform manufacturing processes through innovative engineering solutions, ensuring operational excellence and product quality. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize assembly and enhanc...

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$80K - $95K *

Advance your career with this role focused on optimizing production processes, ensuring material availability, quality, and timely delivery. Collaborate cross-functionally to implement strategic impro...

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$130K - $160K *

Engineer reliable embedded software for pioneering microreactor systems. Collaborate across teams to ensure safe operation through effective firmware development, integrating sensors and hardware to e...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$14K - $322K *

Design cutting-edge computer vision algorithms to enhance autonomous vehicle perception, integrating geometry and imaging systems to translate real-world input into actionable insights, from motion es...

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$150K - $175K *

Join a cutting-edge team as a Lead Firmware Engineer, overseeing embedded systems design, development, and debugging. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, mentor engineers, and tackle comp...

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$100K - $200K *

Tackle the intersection of engineering and filmmaking as a product engineer. Collaborate with founders on innovative strategies, creating AI-driven tools that revolutionize creative workflows and user...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's pioneering advanced manufacturing processes for modular nuclear reactors. Leverage your expertise in engineering to optimize production methods, mentor others, and drive continuous...

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$110K - $125K *

Unlock potential by overseeing the development and testing of DC-DC power products while ensuring production goals are met through effective troubleshooting and analysis. Collaborate with teams to enh...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$191K - $253K *

Take ownership of fielded imaging systems, ensuring their health and uptime. Collaborate across teams to diagnose issues, develop reliable services, and support customer integrations in a dynamic envi...

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$128K - $201K *

Champion the development of cutting-edge firmware for advanced SSD technology, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance product performance and reliability while adhering to Agile methodol...

Today

  •   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.