Position Summary

We are seeking a talented Optical Project Engineer to contribute to the development of advanced optical and imaging systems for medical and satellite/aerospace/defense applications.

This is an opportunity to build broad, hands-on experience across the optical product-development lifecycle—from optical modeling and tolerancing through laboratory testing, verification, manufacturing transfer, and production support. Rather than working within a narrowly defined specialty, you will contribute to real-world optical products and systems while collaborating with experienced engineers across multiple disciplines.

Working as part of cross-functional product-development teams, you will apply optical engineering fundamentals and practical problem-solving skills to help transform product requirements into robust, manufacturable optical solutions. You will work closely with optical, mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, quality, and program teams while gaining exposure to customers, suppliers, and regulated product-development processes.

This role is particularly well suited to an optical engineer who enjoys combining design and analysis with hands-on laboratory work and wants the opportunity to develop deeper expertise while contributing to sophisticated products from concept through production.

Why This Role Is Exciting

Contribute to advanced optical and imaging systems used in medical, aerospace, and defense applications.
Build experience across the complete optical development process, including design, analysis, tolerancing, metrology, verification, and manufacturing transfer.
Combine computer-based optical modeling with hands-on laboratory testing, alignment, and characterization.
Work alongside experienced optical engineers and multidisciplinary product-development teams while building broader technical expertise.
See your engineering work move beyond analysis and prototypes into manufactured products and real-world applications.

What You’ll Do

As an Optical Project Engineer, you will contribute across multiple phases of optical product development while taking increasing ownership of technical assignments as your experience grows.

Support lens design, optical modeling, optimization, and tolerancing using OpticStudio (Zemax) or comparable optical design tools.
Develop and maintain optical specifications, drawings, coating requirements, glass and material specifications, acceptance criteria, and supplier-facing technical documentation.
Perform hands-on optical testing and metrology, including image-quality testing, MTF measurement, wavefront characterization, distortion measurement, alignment evaluation, and other characterization activities.
Analyze experimental and test data, identify performance trends, document findings, and communicate technical conclusions to engineering and program teams.
Support design verification, validation, and manufacturing transfer, including development of test protocols, reports, design outputs, and supporting technical documentation.
Participate in design reviews, technical problem-solving, root-cause investigations, and resolution of optical-system performance issues.
Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams on optical assembly, alignment, inspection, manufacturability, and production-readiness activities.
Support customer and supplier technical interactions by preparing engineering data, documenting requirements, evaluating results, and completing assigned technical actions.
Develop engineering analyses, scripts, and test or data-reduction tools using MATLAB, Python, or similar platforms.
Maintain accurate engineering records, calculations, test data, and controlled documentation in accordance with company procedures and applicable quality and regulatory requirements.

What You’ll Bring

Bachelor’s degree in Optics, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical discipline, with approximately 2–5 years of relevant professional experience in optical engineering, product development, or a related technical environment. M.S. preferred; relevant advanced graduate education may be considered in lieu of a portion of the experience requirement.
Working proficiency with OpticStudio (Zemax) or comparable optical design software, including lens modeling, tolerancing, and sensitivity analysis.
Solid understanding of optical engineering fundamentals and the ability to apply them to practical product-development problems.
Hands-on experience with optical bench testing, alignment, image-quality evaluation, and/or optical metrology.
Familiarity with optical drawings, specifications, coatings, optical materials, and supplier technical documentation.
Experience with MATLAB, Python, or similar tools for engineering analysis, scripting, data reduction, or test automation.
Ability to work effectively within structured product-development processes and follow design-control, documentation, and quality-system requirements.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to document technical work clearly and accurately.
Ability to collaborate effectively across optical, mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, quality, and program-management teams.

Additional Experience That Will Set You Apart

You do not need experience in every area below. Exposure to one or more of these areas would be particularly valuable:

Imaging-system design and performance analysis.
Optical tolerancing and sensitivity analysis beyond basic lens modeling.
MTF, interferometric, wavefront, distortion, or image-quality measurement techniques.
Illumination-system design or analysis.
Stray-light or non-sequential optical analysis.
Optical coatings, glass selection, fabrication methods, and supplier interaction.
Code V, FRED, LightTools, or comparable optical engineering tools.
Development of automated optical test, data-acquisition, or data-analysis tools.
Statistical analysis of engineering or manufacturing data.
Root-cause analysis and troubleshooting of optical-system performance issues.
Experience supporting products in FDA-regulated, aerospace/defense, or similarly controlled development environments.
Design verification, validation, manufacturing transfer, or production support for optical products.

Location, Travel & Work Environment

This New England-based position combines office-based engineering with regular hands-on work in optical laboratories, metrology facilities, and controlled manufacturing environments, including ISO Class 7 and ISO Class 8 cleanrooms.

Approximately 15–30% travel is expected and may include customer sites, supplier facilities, technical conferences, and other company locations in New England.

Because the company operates in an ITAR-regulated environment, candidates must meet applicable U.S. export-control requirements.

The position requires the visual acuity and attention to detail necessary to inspect, evaluate, and test precision optical components and systems, as well as the manual dexterity required to work with delicate optical assemblies and laboratory instrumentation. The role also requires extended computer-based engineering work and the ability to occasionally lift and carry equipment or materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

Occasional extended hours may be required to support critical program milestones, customer commitments, or other business needs.

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