Lens Technical Lead — Optical Process & Manufacturing

Meta; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 204,000; Full time

Job summary

Reality Labs, a Meta division, seeks an Optical Process & Manufacturing Engineer to own precision optical components from concept to mass production, including ophthalmic-grade optics. You will coordinate with external vendors and supply-chain partners to qualify processes and tooling for high-volume manufacture.

The role requires leading metrology development and DOE-based improvements, while driving new materials and fabrication methods for next-generation optics and displays.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Optical Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6+ years of experience in manufacturing and process development of precision optical components for ophthalmic or consumer electronics.
• Experience with metrology of optical components, including optical power, surface form, wavefront, and cosmetic inspection, and with material and mechanical characterization.
• Experience with mold design and mold flow analysis.
• Experience with mold flow and fluid dynamics simulation software (e.g., Autodesk Moldflow, Moldex3D, or equivalent CFD tools)
• Experience with precision tooling and manufacturing methods such as optical‑grade injection molding, casting in high-volume manufacturing

Responsibilities

• Own precision optical components from concept through prototype, validation, and high-volume production ramp, as the single point of accountability for the outcome.
• Lead external vendor and supply-chain collaborations spanning material selection, tooling, process optimization, metrology, and quality control.
• Develop and qualify ophthalmic manufacturing processes and the metrology used to verify optical components, including optical power, surface form, wavefront, and cosmetics.
• Define and qualify manufacturing processes and tooling, including precision molds, fixtures, and optical surface generation, to establish new process capability with partners.
• Drive mold design and mold flow analysis to optimize tool geometry, gating, and process windows for optical-grade parts.
• Develop and qualify high-precision lens cutting processes, including CNC machining, edging, and laser systems at scale.
• Troubleshoot optical and mechanical defects and run design of experiments (DOE) for root cause analysis and process improvement.
• Develop and integrate novel materials and fabrication processes such as lamination, optical surface generation, coating, casting, and injection molding to enable next‑generation optics and displays.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to set program priorities and deliver product sub‑systems hardened for high-volume manufacturing

Skills

Optical engineering

Mold design

Metrology

Mold flow analysis

CFD tools

High-volume manufacturing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Optical Engineering

Ph.D. in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Optical Engineering (preferred)

Tools

Autodesk Moldflow

Moldex3D

Zemax or Code V

Job description

Reality Labs, a Meta division, seeks an Optical Process & Manufacturing Engineer to own precision optical components from concept to mass production, including ophthalmic-grade optics. You will coordinate with external vendors and supply-chain partners to qualify processes and tooling for high-volume manufacture.

The role requires leading metrology development and DOE-based improvements, while driving new materials and fabrication methods for next-generation optics and displays.