Senior Advanced Optical Technologies Manager

Passionate about pushing the boundaries of optical sensing, photonics, and precision measurement? Excited to lead a brilliant team of scientists and engineers while still contributing hands-on to groundbreaking R&D? Join us in advancing technologies that impact industries worldwide, while building your leadership and expanding your technical skills.

Reporting to the Vice President, this key role serves as the group leader and technical expert for a highly talented team of approximately six Ph.D. level scientists and engineers working across optics, photonics, sensing, and precision measurement.

You will manage multiple parallel projects focused on developing advanced optical sensor technologies, photonic systems, and precision measurement products, and will guide early-stage research initiatives to identify and validate emerging technologies. You will also serve as a hands-on technical contributor, supporting key R&D projects through system design, modeling, experimentation, and technology validation as needed. A strong emphasis is placed on maintaining a high level of technical rigor and driving projects to delight our stakeholders, while also coordinating and communicating effectively with senior leadership, peer managers, and colleagues at Mitutoyo Japan.

The role requires establishing and maintaining partnerships with external organizations to expand the group’s technology footprint. The individual will act as an advisor to senior management on technology roadmaps and strategic technical directions.

A central responsibility of the position is to support staff growth through mentoring, training opportunities, and career development, while ensuring access to state-of-the-art tools, equipment, and facilities, and championing the company’s unique culture and values.

The ideal candidate holds a Ph.D. in physics, applied physics or optical science, and has at least five years of industry experience in new product R&D, including a minimum of two years managing scientific or engineering personnel.

You are an accomplished, high-energy professional capable of effectively leading multi-disciplinary teams of scientists and engineers and managing complex technical projects.

A strong foundation in optics and photonics for sensing and precision measurement is essential, with experience in areas such as optical system design, imaging, interferometry, lasers and light sources, detectors, or related technologies. A solid understanding of systems engineering and integration is also important. You should have hands-on experience with laboratory instrumentation and experimental systems and be proficient with numerical analysis and modeling tools such as Python, MATLAB, COMSOL, or Zemax.

Success in this role requires the ability to coach, mentor, and inspire staff to achieve top performance, while helping to build and sustain a strong company culture. Clear and effective communication with stakeholders across organizational lines and geographies—including customers, project team members, and senior leadership is also critical.

Knowledge and appreciation of Japanese business culture is considered a valuable plus.

For a list of required skills and experience, see the job description at

The salary range is $180,000-$205,000per year. The successful candidate’s salary will be determined based on job-related experience/ knowledge/ skills, education, and complexity and responsibility of the role.

• 100% paid medical
• dental
• vision insurance (75% for dependents)
• 100% paid life and disability insurance
• 6% matching 401k
• 15 vacation days
• 12 paid holidays
• 10 paid sick days per year
• eligibility for performance based annual bonus

Additional benefits and…