Staff Optical Design Engineer

Lumentum Operations LLC; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off

Health and wellness benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Free gym, games room, prayer room

Subsidized meals

Job summary

Lumentum in San Jose, CA is seeking a Senior Optical Design Engineer to model optical trains in high-speed modules and perform tolerance analysis, working closely with the module team.

The role requires 5+ years in optical design with Zemax, strong communication, and experience with micro-optics and photonic chips; MATLAB is a plus, and you will mentor newer engineers.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in optical design and simulation using Zemax.
• Experience with passive and active micro-optics and integrated photonic chips.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work across teams; MATLAB is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Model optical trains in high-speed optical modules and perform tolerance analysis.
• Coordinate with module teams to ensure proper optical system design.
• Communicate with suppliers and CM/SDEs to address feedback and implement DFM input.
• Train new optical engineers and conduct peer reviews of designs.

Skills

Strong communication

Optical design

Project coordination

Education

Master's or PhD in Optical Engineering or Physics

Tools

Zemax

MATLAB

Job description

About Lumentum

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing! We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business. If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us! About Lumentum At Lumentum, we’re building the tech behind the world’s fastest networks and most advanced systems. Our optical and photonic solutions power everything from AI and cloud computing to data centers, telecom, and advanced manufacturing. We’re a global team of innovators working where light meets technology, solving big challenges that keep the world connected and moving forward. If shaping the future of connectivity excites you, you’ll fit right in.

Why You’ll Love This Role

Lumentum is seeking a candidate for the position of a Sr. optical design engineer. The position will be responsible for modeling optical trains in high-speed optical modules and performing optical components tolerance analysis. The position will work closely with module team to design optical system properly.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a core member of the design team, the candidate will be responsible for optical modeling and parameter optimization, as well as simulating and calculating related optical tolerances to guide other design aspects. Communicate with suppliers and Contract Manufacturers / Supplier Design Engineers (CM/SDE) to build components and respond to their feedback and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) input. The candidate should maintain a strong understanding of advanced technologies and proactively identify the most suitable technical route for project needs. Coordinate with internal teams, including Process, Testing, and Automation, to review and respond to their DFM items, optimize designs, and establish appropriate assembly and test workflows. The candidate should have strong experience designing for high manufacturability. Responsible for supporting failure analysis on components and final products from an optical perspective. Candidates should have a wide range of technical knowledge, not limited to their specific job function, that can be applied to solve problems in other areas. Responsible for training new optical engineers and conducting peer reviews of optical designs.

What We’re Looking For

Education: Master's or PhD degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field Experience: Core Requirements: 5+ or more years of experience in optical design and simulation using Zemax. Strong ability to test optical devices, analyze test data, and communicate results effectively. Experience in passive and active micro-optics, integrated photonic chips, and optical system testing is strongly preferred. Strong communication skills. Proficiency in MATLAB programming is a plus. Ability to manage tasks across multiple projects simultaneously.

Perks You’ll Love

• Flexible time off
• Health and wellness benefits (physical and mental)
• Tuition reimbursement and career growth support
• A workplace built for you: free gym, games room, prayer room
• Subsidized meals, free coffee/tea
• Employee stock options and incentive plans

A collaborative, innovative, and inclusive culture Join a Team That’s Shaping the Future At Lumentum, we’re more than just a workplace—we’re a launchpad for creativity and innovation. We’re committed to celebrating your unique talents and helping you grow. Our guiding principles—Innovate, Engage, Deliver, Excel, and Win—aren’t just words; they’re the heart of what we do. Let’s Build a Brighter Future Together! We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. Your uniqueness makes us stronger, sparks creativity, and drives our success. Please contact us at [e-mail] to request accommodation. Join us—your future starts here!

Pay Range

Pay Range: P60-USA-1 :$112,050.00 - $160,050.00

Disclaimer: Final base salary for the successful candidate will depend on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job location, where work will be performed, qualifications, work history and relevant experience. With our continual goal of making Lumentum a best place to work for our employees, we strive to offer employees competitive total compensation packages, which may include annual bonus, commission for certain sales roles, equity, and health and welfare benefits.

Lumentum is illuminating the networks of tomorrow with advanced photonic technologies that enable AI, data centers, telecom, industrial, and sensing applications. As AI accelerates the global demand for bandwidth and energy efficiency, we deliver the building blocks that keep data moving reliably, efficiently, and at massive scale. Our optical products support AI and compute infrastructure, cloud and DCI environments, metro and long-haul networks, while our lasers drive breakthroughs in precision manufacturing and sensing. For nearly five decades, Lumentum has been at the intersection of light and innovation. What began as a vision with JDS Uniphase to harness the power of photonics has evolved into a global force driving the communication infrastructure of tomorrow. At Lumentum, we’re building more than a business—we’re building a team of passionate innovators whose drive to collaborate, create, and connect the world fuels everything we do. We are part of the AI technology revolution and we are illuminating the path forward.

Headquartered in San Jose, California, we operate worldwide through a network of R&D, manufacturing, and sales locations.