Senior Optical Engineer – Defence Optics & Production Lead

QinetiQ Limited; Malvern Hills; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Matched pension

Generous holiday allowance

Private Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Employee discount portal

Armed Forces Covenant

Volunteering opportunities

Job summary

QinetiQ Limited in Malvern is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to lead the design and development of advanced optical telescopes and sensor systems for defence and security technologies.

You will model, analyse, and optimise complex optical systems, collaborating with manufacturing partners to industrialise products from prototype to production while guiding multidisciplinary teams and supporting diverse programmes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Physics, Optical Engineering, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Extensive Zemax OpticStudio experience for complex free-space optical designs.
• Experience taking optical designs from concept to manufacture and production.
• Strong understanding of optical tolerancing and design-for-manufacture principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the optical design and development of advanced optical telescopes and sensor systems.
• Conduct optical modelling, optimisation, tolerancing and stray light assessments using Zemax OpticStudio.
• Develop manufacturing, alignment and test strategies for scalable production.
• Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners to industrialise optical products.
• Support R&D and product delivery programmes across multiple projects.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Zemax OpticStudio

Optical design

Tolerance analysis

Design for manufacture

Optical integration

Fibre-optic systems

Leadership

Project collaboration

Education

Degree in Physics or Optical Engineering

Tools

Zemax OpticStudio

Job description

QinetiQ Limited in Malvern is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to lead the design and development of advanced optical telescopes and sensor systems for defence and security technologies.

You will model, analyse, and optimise complex optical systems, collaborating with manufacturing partners to industrialise products from prototype to production while guiding multidisciplinary teams and supporting diverse programmes.