Optical Engineer Intern - Milpitas, CA, United States
Originally posted 30 September 2026 by the employer.
This role focuses on the Broadband Plasma (BBP) division, specializing in market-leading optical inspection systems.
About the role
As an Optical Engineer Intern, you will focus on advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work in optics, specifically within the Broadband Plasma (BBP) division.
What you'll do
- Apply a solid background in optics, including imaging system aberrations, Fourier optics, polarization, and radiometry. - Perform high-precision and sophisticated optical alignment and imaging performance validation. - Model optical performance and define tolerances and degrees of freedom for optical assembly using Zemax, CodeV, LightTools, or FRED. - Demonstrate methodical problem-solving skills in multi-disciplinary environments and hands-on lab work.
What you'll need
- PhD student expecting Doctorate degree within less than 1 year in optical engineering, optical sciences, or related fields.
Nice to have
- Proficiency in Matlab or Python.
This role has been open 9 days — well below the 49-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
947
|
Median days open
49 d
|
Median salary
$158k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | KLA Corporation | All employers we track in this specialty (947 roles · 103 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 59 | 947 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 201 | 6078 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 38 d | 49 d (−11 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $158k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 70 open roles · median 29 d
- KLA Corporation (this employer) · 59 open roles · median 38 d
- NVIDIA · 52 open roles · median 64 d
- Applied Materials · 50 open roles · median 58 d
- Teradyne · 48 open roles · median 22 d
- AMD · 44 open roles · median 62 d
How we counted: 947 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 103 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 10 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.