Lead Optical Engineer (Head Of)

IC Resources; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Employer pension

Competitive salary

Job summary

IC Resources' client is seeking a Lead Optical Engineer to head the optical architecture of a next‑generation holographic data storage platform in London. You will take optical systems from prototype through to production, owning design intent and performance budgets.

You will lead verification, design validation and production validation, review Zemax designs, and drive manufacturability, cost and scalability while collaborating closely with mechanical and mechatronics teams for system

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in optical design or optical engineering.
• Proficient with Zemax for design, optimization, and tolerancing.
• Experience leading optical architecture decisions within hardware products.
• Experience taking optical systems from prototype to verification/production.
• Experience defining optical performance budgets and calibration assumptions.
• Hands-on optical alignment, testing and validation.
• Knowledge of design-for-manufacture/assembly for optical hardware.
• Experience with optical suppliers on tolerances and components.
• Strong communication to influence multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead through technical expertise rather than people management.
• Experience with holography, optical encoding or projection systems.
• Experience with imaging systems, microscopes or precision instrumentation.
• Exposure to photonics, metrology or advanced manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Own optical architecture and design strategy for the current product and future roadmap.
• Define optical design intent from concept through to production.
• Lead optical development across Engineering Verification, Design Validation and Production Validation.
• Review, approve and sign off Zemax optical designs prior to manufacture.
• Develop simulation-led optical designs, replacing iterative prototyping with robust design methodology.
• Define optical performance, tolerancing, error budgets, thermal and mechanical constraints, and calibration strategies.
• Optimise precision optical systems for encoding performance and system reliability.
• Balance optical performance with manufacturability, packaging, cost and scalability.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical and mechatronics engineers on system integration, alignment and precision motion.
• Define clear optical requirements and communicate them across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Drive products from prototype to scalable, manufacturable production.

Skills

Optical design

Zemax

Holography

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Tools

Zemax (OpticStudio)

Metrology equipment

Job description

My client is looking for a Lead Optical Engineer, to lead the optical architecture of a next-generation holographic data storage platform. As Lead Optical Engineer, you will take Optical Systems from prototype through to production.

This is an onsite role, based in London.

Responsibilities

• Own the optical architecture and design strategy for the current product and future roadmap.
• Define optical design intent from concept through to production.
• Lead optical development across Engineering Verification, Design Validation and Production Validation.
• Review, approve and sign off Zemax optical designs prior to manufacture.
• Develop simulation-led optical designs, replacing iterative prototyping with robust design methodology.
• Define optical performance, tolerancing, error budgets, thermal and mechanical constraints, and calibration strategies.
• Optimise precision optical systems for encoding performance and system reliability.
• Balance optical performance with manufacturability, packaging, cost and scalability.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical and mechatronics engineers on system integration, alignment and precision motion.
• Define clear optical requirements and communicate them across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Drive products from prototype to scalable, manufacturable production.

Requirements

• Significant industry experience in optical design or optical engineering
• Strong Zemax experience including design, optimisation and tolerancing
• Experience owning major optical architecture or optical design decisions within hardware products
• Experience taking optical systems from prototype into verification, validation or production-intent design
• Experience defining optical performance budgets and calibration assumptions
• Hands-on experience building, aligning, testing and validating optical systems
• Understanding of design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly principles for optical hardware
• Experience working with optical suppliers on feasibility, tolerances and component selection
• Strong communication skills and ability to influence multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Experience leading through technical expertise rather than formal people management
• Experience with holography, optical encoding or projection systems
• Experience with imaging systems, microscopes or precision instrumentation
• Exposure to photonics, metrology or advanced manufacturing systems

Benefits include 25 days annual leave, employer pension, and a competitive salary.