Laser Systems Architect

Opsydia Limited; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid & flexible working arrangements

Share option scheme

Annual bonus scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Group Income Protection and Life Assur

Enhanced family leave

Company matched pension contributions

25 days paid leave plus bank holidays

Cycle to Work Scheme

Mental Health and Wellbeing support

Supported further study or training

Volunteering opportunities

Job summary

Opsydia Limited in Oxford is seeking a Systems Architect to own the system definition, requirements and interfaces for our next‑generation laser‑photonics products. You will translate complex multidisciplinary needs into robust, verifiable designs and supervise integration from concept to deployment.

This senior role requires deep photonics expertise, experience with adaptive optics, and the ability to lead trade‑offs, manage risks and communicate technical decisions to cross‑functional teams.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Ph.D. or Master’s) in Physics, Optical Engineering or related field.
• Extensive background in photonics, laser systems or precision instrumentation.
• Experience leading complex systems architecture and high‑level trade‑offs.

Responsibilities

• End‑to‑End Systems Ownership across optical, mechanical, electrical and software domains.
• System Integration & Verification from concept through deployment.
• Automation, Control & Safety for laser systems including interlocks and diagnostics.
• Precision Motion & Opto‑Mechanical integration for sub‑micron stability.
• Ultrafast Laser & Photonics system integration and optimization.

Skills

Adaptive optics

Waveguide fabrication

Optical simulation

Motion control

Automation scripting

Python

MATLAB

LabVIEW

Education

Ph.D. in Physics

Master’s in Optical Engineering

Tools

Mechanical design tools

Optical modelling tools

Job description

Are you the next Systems Architect to help build and shape our next‑generation laser processing platform? If so, Opsydia would love to hear from you as we expand into new markets and unlock new technical opportunities.

Spun out from the University of Oxford in 2017, Opsydia is a specialist laser technology company harnessing decades of academic excellence and deep expertise in adaptive optics to enable the writing of features in transparent materials. Our writing technology has gone on to provide functionalities across scientific and industrial domains.

Our platform enables the creation of functional devices in optical glass, diamond, and other transparent media, powering disruptive applications in datacoms, quantum technologies, and advanced sensing.

THE ROLE

As a Systems Architect, you will take ownership of the system definition, requirements, and interfaces for Opsydia's next-generation laser-photonics products, ensuring complex multidisciplinary systems are translated into robust, verifiable, and commercially successful products. This is a senior systems engineering role with responsibility for establishing and maintaining the system architecture, managing requirements throughout the product lifecycle, defining interfaces between hardware, software, optical, mechanical, and electronic subsystems, and driving integration and verification activities.

We are seeking an engineer who excels at bringing structure to complex and evolving technical challenges. You will apply systems engineering principles to decompose customer, business, and technical needs into clear requirements, manage traceability, lead architectural trade-offs, identify and mitigate technical risks, and ensure subsystem interfaces are well-defined and controlled. Success in this role requires strong analytical capability, pragmatic engineering judgement, and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts and decisions clearly to multidisciplinary teams, customers, and stakeholders.

Working across early‑stage R&D, customer programmes, and product development, you will provide system‑level leadership from concept through to deployment, ensuring photonics, precision mechanics, automation, software, reliability, and manufacturability considerations are integrated into a coherent product architecture. You will play a key role in maturing innovative technologies into field‑ready products while helping shape Opsydia's technical roadmap and engineering best practices.

You will have a deep technical background with extensive industry experience in photonics, laser systems, or precision instrumentation, ideally holding an advanced degree (Ph.D. or Master’s) in Physics, Optical Engineering, or a related field. You will be accountable for driving complex projects from concept to deployment, ensuring technical excellence and effective execution within a collaborative team environment.

You might also have:

• Practical knowledge of adaptive optics for beam shaping and correction.
• Expertise in waveguide fabrication or optical system performance characterization.
• Familiarity with mechanical design and optical simulation tools.
• Proven ability to configure and optimize precision motion control systems.
• Competence in automation and scripting for system control (Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW).
• Experience with advanced microscopy and metrology techniques.
• Track record of developing products and producing documentation for regulatory compliance.
• Understanding of intellectual property development and technology protection strategies.
• Previous involvement in project planning, risk assessment, and technical reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• End‑to‑End Systems Ownership
  • Develop system‑level specifications, requirements and interface definitions, performance budgets and risk models across optical, mechanical, electrical, and software domains.
  • Lead system architecture from concept through requirements, detailed design, prototyping, verification, and release.
  • Define and drive processes for system integration, validation, and troubleshooting.
• System Integration & Verification
  • Combine lasers, adaptive optics, motion control, electronics, and machine vision into fully functional, production‑ready systems.
  • Use optical modelling and simulation tools to optimise performance and minimise error sources.
  • Develop system verification strategies, verification plans, test procedures, and system‑level risk and failure analysis, ensuring that system requirements can be objectively demonstrated.
• Automation, Control & Safety
  • Define system‑level control methodologies and sequencing alongside the Software Team.
  • Ensure full compliance with international laser safety standards and implement appropriate interlocks, monitoring, and diagnostic features.
  • Contribute to automation and workflow design that enhances stability, repeatability, and throughput.
• Precision Motion & Opto‑Mechanical Integration
  • Architect and integrate high‑precision motion systems (piezo, air‑bearing, linear motor) with sub‑micron or nanometre‑level stability.
  • Oversee opto‑mechanical design for robustness in industrial environments, ensuring vibration control, thermal stability, and reliability.
  • Work closely with the Software Team to achieve coordinated laser‑stage performance.
• Ultrafast Laser & Photonics Systems
  • Integrate and optimise femtosecond laser sources for high‑precision laser‑matter interaction applications.
  • Collaborate with laser manufacturers to define specifications, validate performance, and ensure long‑term stability and repeatability.
  • Manage system‑level trade‑offs involving beam delivery, adaptive optics, power stability, thermal management, and alignment tolerances.

The role is advertised as full‑time.

We are pleased to accommodate flexible and hybrid working where appropriate but, as a hardware company, we find hands‑on system and collaboration time to be highly valuable, so encourage time spent in the office and expect this when required.

As part of the recruitment process a selected candidate will be required to undergo security screening to BPSS standard.

Closing date: Friday 23rd October 2026. Applications will be reviewed as received so this vacancy may be closed earlier; early applications are therefore encouraged.

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

Salary range: £60,000+ dependant on experience.

Benefits

• Hybrid & flexible working arrangements
• Share option scheme
• Annual bonus scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Group Income Protection and Life Assurance
• Enhanced family leave
• Company matched pension contributions up to 5%. Salary sacrifice arrangement is available
• 25 days paid leave plus bank holidays
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Mental Health and Wellbeing support and activities
• Supported further study or training for your professional and personal development
• Volunteering opportunities

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

We are an equal opportunities employer and commit to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace whilst creating an environment which promotes dignity and respect for all. We post our job descriptions across a wide range of recruitment platforms to enable us to garner the most diverse range of candidates we possibly can.

ADJUSTMENTS AND PROVISIONS

We are dedicated to putting in place any reasonable adjustments that may be required to meet the needs of those who wish to apply for a position at Opsydia.

Please share if you have a declared disability, for example but not limited to: a social communication impairment such as autism spectrum disorder, a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD; a mental health condition, a sensory impairment affecting sight or hearing or a physical or mobility impairment.

ALTERNATIVE FORMATS

We can provide our job descriptions in an alternative format of video or audio description

ABOUT OPSYDIA

Opsydia provides commercial systems based on adaptive optics which can directly generate photonic structures in a variety of transparent materials. Learn more at opsydia.com

The company is based in the Centre for Innovation & Enterprise at Begbroke Science Park north of Oxford. Begbroke offers comprehensive facilities on‑site including a restaurant, coffee shop, free parking and a minibus service between the park and Oxford.

Your data will be held in line with our recruitment privacy policy available at https://opsydia.com/recruitment-privacy-policy