Staff Optical Process Engineer, XR

Google; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 188,000 - 274,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus target

Benefits

Job summary

Google is seeking a Staff Optical Process Engineer in California to lead process development for AR/VR optical components, including lenses, waveguides, and module assemblies.

You will drive manufacturing readiness, apply data-driven approaches to precision molding and high-precision assembly, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize production for next-gen displays.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Optical/Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years in mass production optical manufacturing and process engineering.
• 3 years of technical leadership experience.
• Experience with optical metrology devices (CMM/OMM/interferometry).
• Experience managing domestic and international vendors.

Responsibilities

• Develop precision optical components for AR/VR devices from concept to mass production.
• Manage external vendor collaborations and oversee DFM, material selection, process optimization, metrology and quality control.
• Design and optimize manufacturing process flows and tooling; manage major issue list and drive corrective actions.
• Identify novel materials and fabrication techniques for future optics and displays.
• Develop test methods for optical components and align QC methods across processes.

Skills

Leadership

Mass production optical engineering

Optical metrology

Vendor management

Process development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CMM

OMM

Interferometry

Job description

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years of experience working in mass production optical manufacturing and process engineering (i.e., high-precision molding process development of optical components, high-precision tooling for optical/opto-mechanical components, modeling, or tolerancing).
• 3 years of experience in technical leadership.
• Experience with optical metrology devices (i.e., CMM, OMM, or interferometry).
• Experience managing domestic and international vendors.
  

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years of experience working in mass production optical manufacturing and process engineering (i.e., high-precision molding process development of optical components, high-precision tooling for optical/opto-mechanical components, modeling, or tolerancing).
• 3 years of experience in technical leadership.
• Experience with optical metrology devices (i.e., CMM, OMM, or interferometry).
• Experience managing domestic and international vendors.
  

Preferred qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related fields.
• Experience in precision molding technologies for optical components.
• Experience in display/camera optical systems for MP products.
• Experience in ophthalmic process.
  

About The Job

As a Staff Optical Process Engineer, you’ll be leading the process development for critical optical components for AR/VR display systems such as lenses, waveguide and module assemblies.

In this role, you will focus on process development, and manufacturing readiness for optical components and modules. You will be data‑driven and experienced in precision optical molding, optical semiconductor processes and high precision automated assembly processes.

For decades, the computing revolution has reshaped our world driven by breakthroughs in compute, connectivity, mobile, and now, AI. The XR team is at the forefront of the next major leap – the convergence of AI and XR. This is more than just new devices – it's about reimagining how we interact with the world around us. We're building a future where lightweight XR devices like smart glasses and headsets pair with helpful AI to augment human intelligence, offering personalized, conversational, and contextually aware experiences.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $188000 - $274000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Develop precision optical components for AR/VR devices from concept to mass production.
• Manage external vendor collaborations and oversee Design for Manufacturing (DFM), including material selection, process optimization, metrology, and quality control.
• Design and optimize manufacturing process flows, and design and develop manufacturing tooling. Manage the process major issue list, conduct process troubleshooting and root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Identify novel materials and fabrication techniques in optical surface generation, and optical coating to enable future generation optics and displays.
• Assist in the development of test methods for optical components and ensure timely alignment of QC methods between upstream and downstream processes.
  

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form .