Lead Optical Design Engineer: Next-Gen Laser Systems

DiPOLE Systems Ltd; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity: option grant

Flexible working where possible

Harwell Campus location

Job summary

DiPOLE Systems is developing high-performance laser systems for real-world deployment. An Optical Design Engineer will lead optical architectures for our next-generation, productised lasers, working closely with mechanical engineers and scientists, reporting to our CTO.

You will own design decisions, perform stray-light and aberration analyses, and help turn lab prototypes into robust, manufacturable products. Collaboration across disciplines and mentoring others are key parts of the role.

Qualifications

• Strong optical design experience and decisive engineering leadership.
• Experience with geometric optics including aberrations, stray light and ghost analysis.
• Experience with physical optics: diffraction, coherence, Gaussian beams.
• Experience of optics tolerancing, optimisation, and sensitivity analysis.
• Proven ability to take complex optical designs from prototype through build to repeatable manufacture.
• Clear communication skills and documentation habits.

Responsibilities

• Lead optical design of advanced laser systems from concept through to build, test and deployment.
• Own critical design decisions balancing performance, reliability, cost and manufacturability.
• Plan and execute stray-light, ghost and aberration analyses to de-risk designs.
• Collaborate with scientists and mechanical engineers to define requirements and deliver integrated subsystems.
• Shape productisation: modularity, serviceability, and build readiness; engage suppliers as needed.
• Mentor and support other designers as the team grows.

Skills

Optical design

Geometric optics

Physical optics

Tolerancing

Prototype to manufacture

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Technical communication

Tools

Zemax Optic Studio

MATLAB

Python

Job description

DiPOLE Systems is developing high-performance laser systems for real-world deployment. An Optical Design Engineer will lead optical architectures for our next-generation, productised lasers, working closely with mechanical engineers and scientists, reporting to our CTO.

You will own design decisions, perform stray-light and aberration analyses, and help turn lab prototypes into robust, manufacturable products. Collaboration across disciplines and mentoring others are key parts of the role.