Senior Optical Engineer

Senior Optical Engineer

Location: Orlando, FL

Department: Engineering / Optical Systems

Type: Full Time / On-Site

About Orlando, FL: Orlando is a vibrant city known for its thriving technology sector, beautiful scenery, and world‑renowned attractions. It offers a dynamic environment for professionals seeking both career growth and quality of life.

Summary: We are seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to support the design, analysis, and realization of advanced LiDAR optical architectures. This role involves optical component ownership with substantial interaction at the optical system level, supporting new product development from concept through early build phases. The engineer will define optical component requirements, perform detailed analysis, and work directly with global optical suppliers to ensure designs meet performance, manufacturability, and quality expectations.

This role emphasizes strong technical ownership, hands‑on validation, and close collaboration across optical, opto‑mechanical, mechanical, and electrical engineering teams.

Objectives:

• Own optical component and subsystem definitions within LiDAR architectures.
• Translate system‑level performance needs into clear optical requirements and specifications.
• Ensure optical designs are robust, tolerant, and manufacturable.
• Serve as a technical interface between internal teams and external optical suppliers.

Responsibilities:

• Design and analyze optical components and subsystems using Zemax (Optic Studio).
• Perform optical system analysis, including performance trade studies and sensitivity assessments.
• Conduct FRED‑based non‑sequential and stray light analysis.
• Perform optical tolerance analysis to assess alignment and manufacturing sensitivities.
• Support lens design, optimization, and performance evaluation.
• Define and document lens requirements, coatings, and optical specifications.
• Develop and execute optical lab setups for model validation and hardware characterization.
• Work closely with global optical suppliers to review designs, specifications, and manufacturing approaches.
• Collaborate with opto‑mechanical engineers to define alignment strategies and tolerances.
• Support documentation, reviews, and technical decision‑making throughout development phases.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• 7–15 years of industry experience in optical engineering with an MS in Optical Engineering, or 4–10 years with a PhD.
• Strong proficiency with Zemax (Optic Studio) for modeling, optimization, and tolerance analysis.
• Hands‑on experience with lens design and optical component development.
• Demonstrated ability to perform optical system‑level analysis.
• Experience defining optical requirements and specifications.
• Hands‑on experience developing and analyzing solutions using MATLAB, Python, or similar programming tools.
• Experience defining and reviewing optical coating specifications.
• Hands‑on experience designing and executing optical lab setups.
• Experience working with global suppliers on optical components.
• Ability to work across modeling, lab validation, and design iteration cycles.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using FRED for stray light and non‑sequential optical analysis.
• Experience with laser‑based optical systems.
• Background in LiDAR, imaging systems, or active optical sensors.
• Familiarity with opto‑mechanical integration and alignment methods.
• Experience supporting new product development or early production builds.
• Experience interacting directly with optical vendors during development cycles.