Applications Engineer - Fiber Optics

FOC Acquisitions; Sterling (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Connexis Group is seeking an Applications Engineer specializing in fiber optics. This customer-facing role converts customer problems into technically viable, manufacturable fiber-optic solutions.

The candidate will work with Inside Sales to translate requirements, assess feasibility, and move opportunities toward prototype, RFQ, qualification, and production. Strong communication with customer engineers is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, optics, photonics, or related discipline.
• Technical experience with optical fibers and fiber assemblies, fused fiber bundles, light guides, and optical coupling.
• Ability to communicate with customer engineers and R&D teams.
• Understanding of design choices, manufacturing capability, cost and scalability.

Responsibilities

• Engage with customer engineering and R&D teams to understand applications and requirements.
• Evaluate technical feasibility and identify applicable products, fiber types, optical configurations and platforms.
• Coordinate prototypes, RFQs, qualification activities and development builds.
• Provide technical responses to maintain commercial momentum and address objections.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality and engineering to balance performance, cost and scalability.

Skills

Optical fibers

Fiber assemblies

Light guides

Wavelength transmission

Numerical aperture

Customer communication

R&D liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or optics

Job description

Connexis Group is an advance interconnect solution company, solving advanced engineering problems by designing and manufacturing high-performance solutions for medical, aerospace & defense, semiconductor and industrial markets. We are looking for an Applications Engineer specifically in Fiber Optics. This is a customer-facing technical-commercial role responsible for converting customer problems and early-stage opportunities into technically viable, manufacturable and commercially attractive fiber-optic solutions.

Working alongside the Inside Sales team, this individual engages directly with customer engineering and R&D teams to understand applications, define requirements, assess feasibility and move opportunities toward prototype, RFQ, qualification and production. The role serves as the technical bridge between the customer and internal engineering and manufacturing teams.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Application Discovery

• Participate in customer discovery and technical meetings with the Inside Sales Lead.
• Understand the customer application, system architecture, performance requirements, environmental conditions, interfaces, volumes and qualification requirements.
• Ask the technical questions required to determine whether the opportunity fits current or adjacent capabilities.
• Help customers translate early concepts or incomplete specifications into actionable technical requirements.

Technical Feasibility & Solution Development

• Rapidly evaluate technical fit and identify applicable products, fiber types, optical configurations and manufacturing platforms.
• Recommend preliminary technical approaches and identify where customization or development is required.
• Evaluate optical performance considerations such as wavelength, numerical aperture, transmission, coupling, geometry, power handling and environmental requirements.
• Identify technical risks and missing information early and coordinate more complex reviews with plant engineering and operations.

RFQ, Prototype & Qualification Support

• Help convert technical discussions into complete, quotable requirements and RFQs.
• Develop or review technical assumptions supporting quotations and coordinate drawings, specifications or preliminary designs as required.
• Coordinate prototypes, samples and development builds and help establish technical success criteria.
• Support testing, qualification, failure analysis and iterative design adjustments through production approval.

Commercial & Customer Support

• Partner with the Inside Sales Lead throughout the opportunity lifecycle and participate in targeted customer and prospect discussions.
• Provide technical responses quickly enough to maintain commercial momentum.
• Assist in overcoming technical objections during the quote-to-close process.
• Identify additional applications, programs and engineering contacts while engaging with customers.

Internal Collaboration & Knowledge Development

• Work with manufacturing, quality and engineering to balance performance, manufacturability, cost and scalability.
• Document repeatable applications, technical solutions, lessons learned and reference designs.
• Help identify product-platform opportunities that can be leveraged across multiple customers and markets.
• Provide customer and market feedback that can inform product and process development.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, optics, photonics or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Technical experience with optical fibers and fiber assemblies, fused fiber bundles and light guides, illumination systems and optical coupling, optical power handling, laser and LED-based systems, Numerical aperture, wavelength and transmission, Medical-device illumination and imaging, Sensors, spectroscopy and semiconductor optical systems, Industrial photonics and optical component integration.
• Comfort communicating directly with customer engineers, R&D teams and technical decision-makers.
• Ability to make practical technical judgments in early-stage situations where requirements may be incomplete.
• Understanding of the relationship between design choices, manufacturing capability, cost and scalability.
• Strong written communication, organization and sense of urgency.
• Experience in medical devices, semiconductor equipment, sensing, spectroscopy, industrial optics or similar markets is highly desirable.