Senior / Principal Photonics Engineer - Optical Systems & Sensor Development

Stealth Startup - Deep Tech; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Stealth Startup - Deep Tech is seeking a Senior/Principal Photonics Engineer to shape optical systems for a next-generation continuous sensing platform. The role covers optical design, experimental photonics, sensor characterisation and system miniaturisation, with ownership of architecture and roadmap.

You will translate lab concepts into compact, stable devices, balance optical quality with manufacturability, and mentor a multidisciplinary team spanning chemistry, biosensing and engineering.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent industry experience in photonics, optical engineering, applied physics or related field.
• Hands-on design, building, aligning, calibrating and characterising optical systems.
• Experience with optical modelling or simulation to guide experiments and design decisions.
• Ability to analyse experimental sensor data with Python, MATLAB or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Own the optical architecture and experimental programme for the platform.
• Lead characterisation methods and plan the technical roadmap for optics.
• Mentor colleagues and collaborate with design/fabrication partners.
• Translate lab photonics concepts into compact, scalable optical systems.
• Drive considerations for reliability, manufacturability and future production.

Skills

Photonic engineering

Optical design

Experimentation

Data analysis

C/C++

DSP / time-series

Machine learning

3D printing

Education

PhD or equivalent industry experience

Tools

Python

MATLAB

C/C++

Optical modelling software (COMSOL)

3D printing

Job description

We are seeking a Senior or Principal Photonics Engineer to play a foundational role in developing the optical systems at the heart of a next-generation continuous sensing platform.

This is a highly hands-on role spanning optical design, experimental photonics, sensor characterisation, quantitative data analysis and system miniaturisation. You will help translate advanced photonic sensing concepts from laboratory setups into compact, stable and scalable optical systems.

The central challenge is converting photonic-device performance into repeatable system-level performance while balancing optical quality, calibration, mechanical constraints, reliability and future manufacturability. You will have significant ownership of the optical architecture, experimental programme, characterisation methods and technical decisions shaping the platform.

We are a stealth, venture-backed and grant-funded deep-tech company developing a proprietary photonic platform for continuous, multi-marker molecular sensing. We are backed by a leading European venture fund, experienced health-tech investors and strategic operators, alongside significant grant funding from the EU.

Today’s biochemical measurements provide isolated snapshots of dynamic biological processes. Our mission is to make these changes continuously measurable, transforming molecular data into timely, actionable insight.

Our platform brings the stability and multiplexing capabilities of advanced laboratory photonics into compact, scalable devices using miniaturised, low-cost and low-power electronics. We are initially applying the technology to health-focused applications, with the potential to reveal new insights into physiology, disease progression and treatment response.

As we move from core technology validation towards integrated product development, we are expanding a multidisciplinary team spanning molecular recognition, surface chemistry, biosensing, photonics, microfluidics and engineering.

At Principal Engineer level, you may also help set the optical systems roadmap, mentor colleagues, guide external design and fabrication partners and contribute to intellectual-property strategy.

• PhD or equivalent industry experience in photonics, optical engineering, applied physics or a related field.
• Strong grounding in photonics, optical principles, interference optics and waveguide or imaging optics.
• Hands‑on experience designing, building, aligning, calibrating and characterising optical systems.
• Experience with optical modelling or simulation and using results to guide experiments and design decisions.
• Ability to analyse experimental sensor data quantitatively, with proficiency in Python, MATLAB or an equivalent scientific‑computing environment.
• Strong experimental troubleshooting skills and the ability to independently plan and execute complex technical programmes.
• Photonic or optical biosensors.
• Integrated photonics, nanophotonics or resonant optical devices.
• Miniaturised imaging or sensing systems, including practical diagnosis of aberrations and alignment errors.
• Experiment automation, calibration tooling or automated optical characterisation.
• DSP, time-series analysis, statistical modelling or machine learning applied to noisy sensor data.
• C/C++ or embedded implementation for instrumentation or low‑power devices.
• Rapid optomechanical prototyping, 3D printing, optical packaging or collaboration with fabrication partners.
• Wearable or medical‑device development, design for manufacture or repeatable production testing.

London, UK

This is a laboratory‑based photonics position and will be primarily in person. Relocation support and UK visa sponsorship are available for exceptional candidates.