Optical Engineering Manager

United States Digital Space LLC; Greater London; On-site; GBP 81,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Private medical

Dental & vision insurance

Life assurance

Mental health support

Unlimited holiday

Remote working days

Lunch vouchers

Job summary

The Optical Engineering division at the company is expanding, and we seek an Engineering Manager to lead a seasoned team of optical engineers. You will own the optical workstream, drive design decisions, and ensure successful transfer to serial production with contract manufacturers.

This role is hands-on and strategic, guiding projects through design, analysis, and verification. Based in London or Bristol, you will mentor engineers, uphold ISO 13485 and IEC 60601-1 standards, and champion

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in optical engineering, with at least 2 years in a team lead or engineering management role.
• Extensive hands-on design experience in laser interferometry and precision optical systems.
• Proficient with Zemax/COMSOL and translating simulations into hardware.
• Knowledge of laser sources, photodetectors, fibres, coatings, and PICs.
• Experience in regulated environments (medical devices, ISO 13485, IEC 60601-1).

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of optical engineers with clear development goals.
• Own the optical engineering function from concept to validated hardware.
• Contribute to design work including optical modelling and tolerance analysis.
• Drive design reviews, risk assessments, and V&V activities.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electronic, and manufacturing subsystems.
• Maintain optical design standards and document in line with QMS.
• Manage relationships with contract manufacturers and suppliers.
• Embrace AI in daily work and innovation.

Skills

Laser interferometry

Optical modelling

Team leadership

Systems integration

Regulatory knowledge

Tools

Zemax

COMSOL

Job description

Role

At the company, we are developing a non-invasive neuromonitoring technology that will result in a new era of clinical brain monitoring. In joining us, you will be helping to create cutting-edge technologies that will improve how we diagnose and treat brain disorders, ultimately improving and saving the lives of patients across the world.

The Optical Engineering team at the company is responsible for the photonics systems at the heart of the company’s technology, designing and developing the laser interferometry platform that enables continuous, non‑invasive measurement of human physiology parameters. The team spans optical system design, component selection and test, precision alignment, optical modelling, and integration with mechanical and electronic subsystems.

As Engineering Manager for Optical Engineering, you will lead a team of optical engineers through the iterative design, build, and test phases to create designs which fulfil design input requirements and successfully complete design verification and validation campaigns. Working alongside the company’s contract manufacturing partners, you will ensure that design deliverables can be successfully transferred into serial production.

This is a hands‑on leadership role: you will drive technical decisions, own the optical workstream, and personally contribute to complex design challenges, while managing the team to programme milestones and design control processes. You will lead and mentor the team of optical engineers, and establish and maintain the development process and tools required by the team, championing a high standard of quality and performance.

At the company, all team members work at least 4 days per week in the office, plus a flexible work‑from‑home day. This role can be based in either London (Kings Cross) or Bristol office.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of optical engineers, setting clear development goals, providing technical mentorship, and maintaining a high standard of engineering practice
• Own the optical engineering function and lead the realisation of photonic and optical components from concept through to validated hardware
• Personally contribute to design work, including optical modelling (Zemax, COMSOL, or equivalent), tolerance analysis, simulation, and design for manufacture and assembly
• Drive design reviews, risk assessments, and V&V activities across optical subsystems, ensuring performance is robustly characterised before design freeze
• Own the optical interfaces with mechanical, electronic, and manufacturing subsystems, working cross‑functionally to resolve integration challenges
• Establish and maintain optical design standards, toolchain choices, and documentation in line with the company’s QMS, ISO 13485, and IEC 60601‑1
• Manage relationships with contract manufacturers and key suppliers for optical components and assemblies, supporting DFM and manufacturing readiness reviews
• AI is fundamental to our culture — it’s not just a tool, but a core part of how we work, collaborate, and innovate. We expect all team members to embrace AI in their daily work and continuously find new ways to use it effectively

Skills & Experience

8+ years of experience in optical engineering, with at least 2 years in a team lead or engineering management role

• Deep expertise in laser interferometry, coherent optical sensing, or closely related optical measurement techniques, with hands‑on experience designing and validating precision optical systems
• Proficiency with optical simulation and modelling tools (Zemax, COMSOL, or similar) and experience translating simulation outputs into validated hardware designsl
• Solid understanding of optical component technologies including laser sources, photodetectors, fibre optics, beamsplitters, optical coatings, and photonic integrated circuits (PICs)l
• Demonstrated ability to lead a technical team through the full product development lifecycle, from concept through to validated hardwarel
• Experience in a regulated industry (medical devices, defence, semiconductor, or similar), with familiarity with ISO 14971, ISO 13485, and IEC 60601‑1l
• Strong cross‑functional communication skills, with the ability to represent the optical team in system‑level technical discussions with engineering, clinical, and regulatory stakeholdersl
• Experience with manufacturing assembly processes or precision manufacturing at production scale for instrumentation and/or high‑volume productsl

Nice to Have

• Background in biophotonics, diffuse optical imaging, or optical coherence tomography
• Experience with miniaturisation of optical systems for portable or wearable hardware
• Familiarity with cleanroom assembly and precision alignment at manufacturing scale
• Experience managing supplier relationships for optical components and sub‑assemblies
• Knowledge of FDA regulatory pathways for optical medical devices

Benefits

• Company equity plan so all employees share in the success of the company
• Salary‑sacrifice pension scheme
• Private medical, dental and vision insurance (medical history disregarded)
• Group life assurance at 4x annual income
• Comprehensive mental health support, including unlimited access to 1:1 sessions with trained professionals
• Unlimited holiday allowance (+ bank holidays) and one week of remote working per quarter
• Lunch voucher (£10) every day for JustEat and free dinner on those days where you need to work later
• Twice weekly deliveries of fresh fruit and an extensive selection of snacks and drinks
• YuLife subscription, allowing you to turn your daily steps and meditation into discounts at a range of stores

Compensation

Compensation: £81K – £118K Offers Equity

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