Senior Optical Engineer

Ravee Optics; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity packages

Technical leadership

Collaborative team

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Ravee Optics in Dayton, OH seeks a Senior Optical Engineer to lead the design, analysis, development, integration, and testing of advanced optical systems for commercial, aerospace, and defense applications. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing innovative optical solutions spanning imaging systems, laser-based systems, precision optics, and emerging photonic technologies.

You will work across the full product lifecycle with a multidisciplinary team, developing system-level

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in optical/physics/EE/photonics or related field.
• 3+ years designing and developing advanced optical/electro-optical systems.
• Strong understanding of geometric optics, physical optics, tolerancing, polarization, and imaging performance.
• Proficiency with Zemax, CODE V, FRED or equivalents.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, analysis, and optimization of complex optical systems and subsystems.
• Develop system-level optical requirements, performance budgets, and design trade studies.
• Perform optical modeling, tolerance analysis, stray light analysis, and performance optimization using industry-standard tools.
• Design and specify optical components and assemblies, including lenses, mirrors, filters, beam expanders, fiber-optic components, and illumination systems.
• Support prototype development, optical alignment, integration, characterization, and environmental testing.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams throughout product development.
• Support technology roadmaps, customer engagements, technical proposals, and intellectual property development.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership on multidisciplinary projects.

Skills

Optical design

Geometric & physical optics

MATLAB / Python scripting

Communication skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Photonics or related field

Tools

Zemax OpticStudio

CODE V

FRED

Job description

Work Authorization: U.S. Citizen preferred; ability to obtain a security clearance is a plus.

Position Overview

Ravee is seeking an experienced Senior Optical Engineer to lead the design, analysis, development, integration, and testing of advanced optical systems for commercial, aerospace, and defense applications. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing innovative optical solutions spanning imaging systems, laser-based systems, precision optics, and emerging photonic technologies.

This position offers the opportunity to work across the full product lifecycle from concept development and system architecture through prototype development, testing, and product transition while collaborating with a multidisciplinary engineering team to solve challenging optical system problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, analysis, and optimization of complex optical systems and subsystems.
• Develop system-level optical requirements, performance budgets, and design trade studies.
• Perform optical modeling, tolerance analysis, stray light analysis, and performance optimization using industry-standard tools.
• Design and specify optical components and assemblies, including lenses, mirrors, filters, beam expanders, fiber-optic components, and illumination systems.
• Support prototype development, optical alignment, integration, characterization, and environmental testing.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams throughout product development.
• Support technology roadmaps, customer engagements, technical proposals, and intellectual property development.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership on multidisciplinary projects.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Photonics, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience designing and developing advanced optical or electro-optical systems.
• Strong understanding of geometric optics, physical optics, optical tolerancing, polarization, and imaging system performance.
• Experience with optical design and analysis software such as Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V, FRED, or equivalent.
• Experience with optical laboratory equipment, alignment techniques, and system characterization.
• Programming or scripting experience using MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:

• Free-Space Optical Communications (FSOC)
• Laser systems and photonics
• Space-based or airborne optical systems
• Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems
• Precision optical instrumentation
• Optical sensing and spectroscopy
• Fiber-optic systems
• Adaptive optics or beam control
• Optical coatings and advanced optical materials
• SWIR, MWIR, or LWIR optical systems
• Metasurfaces, diffractive optics, or metaoptics
• Optical manufacturing, assembly, and qualification
• Systems engineering for aerospace or defense applications
• Experience with environmental qualification or flight hardware
• Active U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one

What We Offer:

• Competitive compensation and equity packages
• Technical leadership in a rapidly advancing application space
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary team working on next-gen optical communications
• Opportunities for technical growth, system-level ownership, and leadership
• Flexible work environment with strong emphasis on innovation and impact