Technical Manager, Fiber Lasers

Overview

LIGHTERA has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application specific fibers, optical connectors, ribbon cables, erbium doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers, fiber gratings and more.

Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and supplying the best optical fibers, fiber cable and components and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To do so, we must continue shaping the future of communications by applying the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.

We currently seek a Technical Manager to help support our Fiber Lasers Department in our Somerset, NJ location.

• Lead design and development of fiber laser systems (CW and pulsed), including seed sources, amplifiers, pump coupling, and beam delivery.
• Oversee optical, thermal, and mechanical design trade-offs to meet power, beam quality, and reliability targets.
• Drive performance optimization, stability improvements, and nonlinear effect mitigation.
• Identify and explore new areas of high-potential, fiber laser research to seed the long-term product funnel.
• Support fiber laser product development by guiding root-cause analysis of field and production issues.
• Manage and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists.
• Define project scope, milestones, budgets, and resource allocation.
• Conduct technical reviews and ensure adherence to development processes.
• Align technology roadmap with business and product strategy.
• Partner with manufacturing to ensure scalable fiber assembly and packaging processes.
• Collaborate with other technical leads to develop programs spanning fiber lasers, sensing, telecommunications, and medical applications.
• Work with quality and reliability teams on qualification and lifetime testing.
• Support Marketing and Sales Teams in customer-facing technical discussions and advanced applications.
• Contribute to IP strategy, invention disclosures, and patent reviews.
• Guide team in authoring high-profile journal and conference proceeding publications.
• Monitor industry advancements through engagement with organizations such as SPIE, Optica, and IEEE.
• Perform other related duties as required.

• Education
  M.S. or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline.

• Experience
  8–15 years of experience in high power fiber lasers
• Demonstrated excellence in experimental optical physics, including assembly, test, measurement, and analysis of fiber lasers
• Strong track record in establishing and executing R&D projects
• Demonstrated experience delivering fiber laser products from concept through commercialization.
• Drive to work both independently and as a critical member of interdisciplinary teams
• Prior technical leadership or people management experience required.

• Technical Expertise
  Strong knowledge of:
• Yb, Er, Tm and other single/double-clad fiber laser architectures
• Physics, modelling and simulation of active fibers
• Optical fibers, modes and waveguide design
• Nonlinear effects (SBS, SRS, mode instability)
• Fiber devices such as fiber combiners, gratings, and mode-field adapters
• Thermal management and packaging
• Laser safety and reliability standards

• Leadership Competencies
  Proven ability to lead and develop technical teams.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Effective cross-functional communicator.
• Balance innovation with schedule, cost, and manufacturability constraints.
• Drive to work both independently and as a critical member of interdisciplinary teams
• Exceptional documentation and presentation skills to all levels of the organization

• General Expectations
  Demonstrate effective communications (verbal, written) skills
• Proficient with MS Office Word and Excel
• Maintain discretion when working with confidential and proprietary information
• Strict adherence to Company safety policies and procedures
• Conform to all aspects of Lightera’s…