Senior Optical Engineer

SGInnovate; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Founding team member

Equity potential

State-of-the-art technology access

Job summary

Nexascan, a Singapore-based startup supported by SGInnovate, seeks a Senior Optical Engineer to join the founding team. You will drive optical system development from lab prototypes to field-ready products, tackling miniaturization, ruggedization and thermal stability in constrained environments.

Key responsibilities include end-to-end optical design with Zemax/Code V, active sensing and multi-physics synchronization, and collaboration across FEM, mechanical and firmware teams to ensure

Qualifications

• 5+ years of optical engineering experience, with PoC to manufacturing exposure.
• Expertise in optical design tools and high SNR measurement techniques.
• Familiarity with NDT principles is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transition of optical systems from lab prototypes to field-ready products.
• Design and optimize optical paths to maximize signal quality (speckle/shearography).
• Develop illumination protocols to enhance defect contrast on challenging surfaces.
• Compute Acoustic Wave Power and integrate with multi-physics aspects.
• Coordinate with FEM, mechanical and firmware teams for data formatting and validation.
• Document design history files and present milestones to stakeholders.

Skills

Solidworks

Python

Electronics System Design

Laser speckle interferometry

Shearography

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Optical Engineering or Physics

Tools

Zemax

Code V

FEM tools

Job description

This role is with Nexascan, a startup supported by SGInnovate.

Background

Nexascan is an early stage venture based out of Singapore. We are scaling up Acoustic Shearography technology for non destructive testing use case across industries. Our goal is bring the tech from TRL 5 to 8 in next 12 months. We are looking for an Optical Engineer to be our first team member. It will be a chance to be at the forefront of cutting edge technology with the liberty to take up challenging tasks.

Job scope

Join Nexascan Pte. Ltd., a funded early-stage startup in Singapore, as a Senior Optical Engineer and become a key part of our founding team. This is a unique opportunity to play a vital role in developing a breakthrough non-destructive testing solution.

Key Responsibilities

• Prototype-to-Product Leadership: Lead the transition of optical systems from lab-stage prototypes to field-ready commercial products. You will solve critical challenges related to miniaturization, ruggedization, and thermal stability in constrained environments.
• End-to-End Optical Design: Use Zemax or Code V to simulate and optimize complex optical paths, ensuring high signal-to-noise ratios for speckle pattern interferometry and defect detection.
• Active Sensing Integration: Pioneer the calculation of optical and acoustic energy propagation to enhance system reliability. You will design customized illumination protocols (active excitation) to maximize defect contrast on difficult surfaces.
• Pioneer the calculation of Acoustic Wave Power to enhance performance and reliability.
• Multi-Physics Synchronization: Experience integrating optical systems with dynamic mechanisms (e.g., PZT phase shifters) and synchronizing high-speed imaging with external triggers from multi-element NDT sensors to boost system speed and sensitivity.
• Opto-Mechanical Collaboration: Collaborate with the FEM, mechanical and firmware team to ensure optical measurements (displacement gradients) are formatted for direct simulation validation.
• Technical Strategy: Document design history files and present technical milestones to stakeholders and investors, helping to shape the company's IP strategy.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's, Master's in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years in optical engineering, with a strong preference for candidates who have taken a product from proof-of-concept to manufacturing.
• Technical Proficiency: Expert mastery of optical design software (Zemax, Code V, or equivalent). Experience with laser speckle interferometry, shearography, or coherent imaging systems is required.
• Analytical Skills: Strong ability to model physical interactions (light-matter interaction) and solve complex noise/contrast problems in active sensing systems.
• Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: Familiarity with Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) principles. Understanding of how acoustic or mechanical waves propagate through materials (e.g., beam spread, refraction) is a plus, but not required.
• Communication: Ability to explain complex optical phenomena to cross-functional teams (software/mechanical/acoustic) to ensure successful system integration.

Benefits and Opportunities

• Opportunity to join as a founding team member of a funded early-stage startup.
• Competitive salary package with potential for equity participation.
• Professional growth in a dynamic and pioneering work environment.
• Access to state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge research.

Level of relevant working experience

6 - 10 years

Required Skills

• Solidworks
• Python
• Electronics System Design