Intern - Optical Design Software & Automation Engineer (PhD Level)

Keysight Technologies; Santa Clara, Pasadena (CA, CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Keysight Technologies in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a PhD-level optics/software engineer to design and automate advanced optical simulations. You will work with CODE V, LightTools, Zemax, and RSoft to build production-grade tools.

You will implement AI-assisted workflows, integrate simulations, and collaborate with application engineers and software teams to enable end-to-end optical studies.

Qualifications

• PhD candidate in Optics, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in geometrical optics, physical optics, imaging systems, illumination optics, and computational optics.
• Hands-on experience with optical design and analysis tools such as CODE V, LightTools, Zemax OpticStudio, LucidShape, or similar platforms.
• Advanced programming skills in C++/Rust and Python.
• Experience building research-grade or production-quality software tools.
• Interest in automation, workflow orchestration, and engineering productivity solutions.
• Experience embedding optimization heuristics, decision logic, or AI-assisted capabilities into engineering workflows.

Responsibilities

• Design, model, and analyze imaging, illumination, and optical systems using CODE V, LightTools, and related optical simulation tools.
• Develop software and automation frameworks for optical design, analysis, optimization, tolerance studies, and design trade studies.
• Design and prototype agentic or semi-autonomous workflows for multi-step optical simulation, optimization, and evaluation pipelines.
• Integrate CODE V, LightTools, and RSoft through software APIs and custom workflow automation.
• Develop cross-product workflows combining ray-optics, illumination, imaging, and photonics analyses for end-to-end studies.
• Support optical system performance evaluation, design exploration, and optimization across multiple simulation environments.
• Develop and validate numerical algorithms for optimization, workflow integration, and engineering decision support.
• Explore AI-assisted or rule-based approaches for optical design iteration and workflow coordination.
• Document workflows and deliver reusable, production-quality software tools.
• Collaborate closely with application engineers, optical design experts, and software development teams.

Skills

C++/Rust

Python

Education

PhD candidate in Optics/Optical Engineering/Physics

Tools

CODE V

LightTools

Zemax OpticStudio

LucidShape

RSoft

Job description

Overview

Keysight is at the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our 16,800 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more about what we do.

Our award-winning culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions. We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers.

Responsibilities

• Design, model, and analyze imaging, illumination, and optical systems using CODE V, LightTools, and related optical simulation tools
• Develop software and automation frameworks for optical design, analysis, optimization, tolerance studies, and design trade studies
• Design and prototype agentic or semi-autonomous workflows that orchestrate multi-step optical simulation, optimization, and evaluation pipelines
• Integrate CODE V, LightTools, and RSoft through software APIs and custom workflow automation
• Develop cross-product workflows that combine ray-optics, illumination, imaging, and photonics analyses to support end-to-end engineering studies
• Support optical system performance evaluation, design exploration, and optimization across multiple simulation environments
• Develop and validate numerical algorithms for optimization, workflow integration, and engineering decision support
• Explore AI-assisted or rule-based approaches for optical design iteration, trade-study execution, and workflow coordination
• Document workflows and deliver reusable, production-quality software tools
• Collaborate closely with application engineers, optical design experts, and software development teams

Qualifications

• PhD candidate in Optics, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• Strong foundation in geometrical optics, physical optics, imaging systems, illumination optics, and computational optics
• Hands-on experience with optical design and analysis tools such as CODE V, LightTools, Zemax OpticStudio, LucidShape, or similar platforms
• Advanced programming skills in C++/Rust and Python
• Experience building research-grade or production-quality software tools
• Interest in automation, workflow orchestration, and engineering productivity solutions
• Experience embedding optimization heuristics, decision logic, or AI-assisted capabilities into engineering workflows

Preferred / Differentiating Skills

• Experience designing imaging, illumination, camera, AR/VR, automotive, display, or related optical systems
• Experience with freeform optics, tolerance analysis, stray-light analysis, or large-scale optical optimization
• API-level integration with commercial optical simulation tools
• Experience building software workflows that connect multiple engineering applications, including optical and photonics simulation environments
• Familiarity with agent-based, workflow-oriented, or multi-step automation frameworks
• Knowledge of photonics or electromagnetic simulation tools such as RSoft is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to translate advanced optical engineering concepts into usable software solutions
• Familiarity with modern software development practices, including source control, code reviews, automated testing, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and collaborative development workflows using industry-standard tools

Careers Privacy Statement

Keysight Technologies Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other protected categories under all applicable laws.