Research Scientist Intern, Optical Engineering; PhD

Meta Reality Labs brings together a team of researchers, developers, and engineers to create the future of virtual and augmented reality, which together will become as universal and essential as smartphones and personal computers are today. And just as personal computers have done over the past 45 years, AR and VR will ultimately change everything about how we work, play, and connect.

We are developing all the technologies needed to enable breakthrough AR glasses and VR headsets, including optics and displays, computer vision, audio, graphics, brain-computer interface, haptic interaction, eye/hand/face/body tracking, perception science, and true telepresence. Some of those will advance much faster than others, but they all need to happen to enable AR and VR that are so compelling that they become an integral part of our lives.

Our internships are twelve (12) to twenty-four (24) weeks long and we have various start dates throughout the year.

• Currently has or is in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Optical Science, Optical Engineering, Opto-Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computational Imaging or relevant technical field
• Must obtain work authorization in country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment
• Experience in at least one of the following areas of optical research: geometry optics, aberration theory, optical system prototyping
• Experience with lens design in optical design programs such as Zemax Optic Studio, Code V or similar
• Experience with scientific programming languages (e.g., MATLAB, Python, and Mathematica)
• Intent to return to degree program after the completion of the internship/co-op
• Experience in freeform optics
• Proven track record of achieving significant results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as first-authored publications at leading workshops or conferences such as JOSA, SPIE, OSA, IEEE, CLEO, or similar
• Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
• Experience in system-level prototyping work, including hands-on prototyping of bench-top optical components
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
• Proven track record of achieving significant results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as first-authored publications at leading workshops or conferences
• Experience working and communicating cross-functionally in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)