Senior Optical Engineer

MKS Instruments, Inc.; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 1,119,000 - 1,864,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

12 paid holidays

15 paid vacation days

Parental leave

Job summary

MKS Instruments, Inc. seeks a Senior Optical Engineer to advance our free-space and fiber laser systems. You will join a collaborative product development team, designing innovative laser oscillators and modules for next-generation products.

The role requires hands-on alignment, opto-electronic measurements, and the ability to translate design to production with manufacturability in mind. Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• BS degree plus 4+ years of industry experience in optics or a related field.
• MS with 2+ years of industry experience or PhD in related field.
• Hands-on experience with free-space beam and optical cavity alignment for CW and pulsed lasers.
• Experience with diode-pumped pulsed solid-state lasers and amplifiers components.
• Experience with Q-switch laser cavities and optical modulators.
• Ability to define opto-electronic measurement procedures and communicate conclusions.

Responsibilities

• Engineer laser oscillators, amplifiers and harmonic modules through experimentation and modeling.
• Define test strategies, build, test and document technical data on prototypes.
• Interact with mechanical, electrical and software design teams to support development.
• Develop and benchmark system performance models and test procedures.
• Conduct feasibility studies and testing on new or modified designs.
• Support design team in detailed design, testing and prototype fabrication.

Skills

Beam alignment

Diode-pumped lasers

Q-switch cavities

Opto-electronic metrology

Self-directed work

Cross-functional collaboration

Python

Education

BS degree in related field

MS or PhD in related field

Tools

ReZonator

Paraxia

ZEMAX

FRED

Matlab

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS: As a Senior Optical Engineer at at Spectra-Physics, you will join our innovative laser product development engineering team to contribute to the next generation design and engineering solutions for free-space and fiber-based laser systems. You will work collaboratively within a project team and use your communication skills to work effectively with cross-functional team members.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Engineering laser oscillators, amplifiers and harmonic conversion modules through experimentation and modeling into innovative products that solve our customers most pressing challenges
• Defining test strategies, building, testing and documenting technical data on system prototypes, creating reports, and design documentation for the product development team
• Interacting with mechanical, electrical and software design teams to assist in overall development of the optical systems. May require device-level expertise
• Contributing to design of optical systems by specifying, selecting and qualifying active and passive optical components, developing and benchmarking system performance models, developing and implementing test procedures, and evaluating and selecting appropriate test instrumentation
• Conducting feasibility studies and testing on new and modified designs
• Supporting design team members in the preparation of detailed design, design testing and prototype fabrication

Skills You Bring:

• BS degree and 4+ years industry experience
• MS with 2+ years of industry experience or PhD in related field
• Hands-on experience in free-space beam and optical cavity alignment for CW and pulsed laser systems
• Hands-on experience with diode pumped pulsed solid-state lasers and amplifiers components.
• Experience with Q-switch laser cavities
• Hands-on experience with operating and characterizing acousto-optic and electro-optic modulators and pulse selectors
• Ability to independently define opto-electronic measurement procedures, set up and perform the measurements, evaluate the results and clearly communicate the conclusions to peer engineers and management
• Ability to work self-directed and as part of a multi-disciplinary team

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with optical measurement instruments: beam parameters analyzers, power meters, auto-correlators, fast opto-electronics, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers and spectrometers, scanning interferometers
• Laser Cavity modelling and laser dynamics
• Proven experience in product development and ability to transfer the design to production, with an emphasis on manufacturability and product life-cycle
• Experience with Gaussian beam propagation software tools (ReZonator, Paraxia and/or others)
• Familiarity with ray-tracing analysis software (ZEMAX, FRED and/or others)
• Hands-on experience with harmonic generation and nonlinear crystals (SHG, THG, SFG) and modelling basic harmonic processes using SNLO, Matlab and/or other suitable software tools
• Experience with automated measurement and control methods (Python

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Pay Range: $111,8500 to $186,400 per year.

Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].

Please review our EOE statements for additional details.

MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law.

We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.

MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [e-mail].

#LI-EK Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds.

At MKS, it's all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation. Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges. It's not just a job – it's what you make of it. While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on-the-job and formal training, as well as educational assistance. Curiosity is key at MKS - ask questions, own your path. Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries. The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong. Diversity isn't just a nice-to-have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us.

MKS Inc, Product Overview