Optics Consultant

TTP; Melbourn, Royston; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual profit-related bonus

Virtual shares for long-term success

Employer pension contribution of 10%

Private medical insurance

Life insurance 6 x salary

25 days holiday

Enhanced parental leave & flexible re‑

Electric car leasing

Cycle-to-work schemes

Interest-free season ticket loan

Local sports facilities and theatre

Job summary

TTP is seeking a technical leader in optical technologies to drive ophthalmology and advanced surgical innovations from concept to market. You will lead optical systems development, collaborate with physicists, engineers, and software teams, and engage clients to shape opportunities and outcomes.

Your background in optics, photonics, and imaging, plus a hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset, will help advance eyecare products and diagnostic tools across TTP’s Health Tech portfolio.

Qualifications

• Strong Master’s degree in a physical science or engineering discipline and a PhD, or equivalent industry experience, in photonics, optical physics, laser systems or optical design.
• Proactive and self-starting with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
• Collaborative and emotionally intelligent, able to communicate complex technical ideas clearly.
• Strategic and systems-minded, balancing commercial and technical priorities.
• Experience architecting, prototyping, and testing optical systems; imaging or OCT experience useful.
• Experience in regulated sectors such as medical devices or eyecare.
• Excellent communication with clients, colleagues, and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of breakthrough optical technologies for ophthalmology and advanced surgical applications from concept to commercialisation.
• Advance technical workstreams within the Advanced Surgical team and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.
• Identify opportunities, engage with clients, and help deepen relationships with commercial insight.
• Contribute to projects across TTP’s Health Tech and multi-sector portfolio.

Skills

Optical system design

Photonics

OCT imaging

Project leadership

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Master's degree + PhD in physical science or engineering

Job description

TTP is an employee-owned technology and product development consultancy with a 40-year track record of partnering with ambitious clients to solve complex challenges and bring innovative, commercially successful solutions to market.

We invent, design, and develop impactful products and technologies across industries – from healthcare and life science to energy and communications – working at the intersection of engineering, physical science, and biology.

Our culture encourages entrepreneurship, shared ideas, and technical collaboration, while giving you the freedom to do your best work.

Job Description

Lead the development of breakthrough optical technologies for ophthalmology and advanced surgical applications. Working within TTP's Advanced Surgical team, you'll apply expertise in optics, photonics and imaging systems to develop innovative medical devices, diagnostic platforms and surgical technologies from concept through commercialisation while working alongside world-class scientists and engineers.

You’ll play a pivotal role in our Advanced Surgical team developing transformative medical technologies for the eyecare market and beyond, such as next generation diagnostic systems, surgical tools and lenses.

While your background will be in engineering or physics, with core expertise in optical systems, your role will be diverse. From blank sheet to manufacture, you will be key in advancing our work in the eyecare space leading technical workstreams and projects. You’ll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams – including physicists, electronics and mechanical engineers, software developers, and human factors specialists – and work with clients ranging from dynamic start-ups to global medtech and pharma companies.

Your role will be underpinned by a strong curiosity and technical understanding transforming you into a technical authority that demonstrates TTP’s credibility in this space. You will also play a key role in the interactions with our clients byleveraging a combination of commercial curiosity and a deep technical understanding to help identify and close opportunities and to deepen client relationships.

You will also have opportunities to apply your skills beyond your home team contributing to projects across TTP’s wider Health Tech and multi-sector portfolio.

Qualifications

We’re seeking a technically brilliant and creative problem-solver who thrives in a collaborative, entrepreneurial environment.We're looking for candidates who want to impact the industry both commercially and technically; those who don't just solve problems - but who seek them out, thrive on them, and elevate those around them while doing so.

You will:

• have a strong academic background – a strong Master’s degree in a physical science or engineering discipline and a PhD, or equivalent industry experience, in photonics, optical physics, laser systems or optical design – and hands-on practical experience.
• be proactive and self-starting, with a strong sense of personal responsibility and a drive to make things happen.
• be collaborative and emotionally intelligent, able to build trust, influence stakeholders, energise those around you, and communicatecomplex technical ideas with clarity, empathy, and precision, regardless of your audience's background.
• be strategic and systems-minded, able to see the bigger picture, anticipate challenges and opportunities while considering the commercial aspects of technology product development, and navigate ambiguity while keeping priorities sharp and focused.
• Skilled in architecting, prototyping, and testing optical systems, with experience in design of imaging or OCT systems being especially useful.
• Experience in regulated sectors, such as medical devices or healthcare, eyecare or ophthalmic devices would be excellent.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with clients, colleagues, and suppliers.

Additional Information

TTP operates from an award-winning campus in green surroundings in Melbourn, just south of Cambridge.

We offer a generous benefits package including:

• Annual profit-related bonus
• Virtual shares that reward you with a stake in TTP Group’s long-term success
• Employer pension contribution of 10% of salary
• Private medical insurance for employees and dependants
• Life insurance worth 6 x salary
• 25 days holiday
• Enhanced parental leave and flexible return-to-work support
• Electric car leasing and cycle-to-work schemes
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Local sports facilities and theatre discounts and memberships