Principal Optical Engineer - Irvine, CA, United States
$175,000 - $195,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 23 March 2026 by the employer.
About the role
MKS Instruments is seeking a Principal Optical Engineer to provide technical leadership in the design and development of optical systems. In this role, you will lead the architecture, prototyping, and realization of high precision optics, opto-mechanical assemblies, and fiber optic module assemblies.
What you'll do
- Architect and design optical paths and hybrid systems, utilizing modeling software to simulate beam propagation in free-space and fiber-optic configurations. - Define and select active and passive optical components, including laser diodes, AOMs, WDMs, and isolators, and manage integration with mechanical and electronic control systems. - Build, align, and test optical components and systems on the optical bench, performing precision alignment and fiber splicing. - Conduct functional demonstrations, rapid prototyping, iterative design refinement, troubleshooting, and validation. - Collaborate with cross-functional teams and suppliers to transition optical prototypes into manufacturable products.
What you'll need
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or equivalent. - 8+ years of related industry experience in optical product design and development. - Proficiency in optical design and analysis using Zemax or equivalent modeling tools. - Hands-on experience with optical alignment, optical metrology, and test instruments including beam profilers, OSAs, power meters, and interferometers. - Working knowledge of beam propagation, fiber-optic principles, laser fundamentals, mechanical tolerances, and electronic control interfaces. - Ability to work in a cleanroom and laboratory environment, including lifting equipment up to 35 pounds and traveling up to 15%.
Skills: optical paths, hybrid systems, modeling software, free-space, fiber-optic, Zemax
This role has been open 211 days — well above the 80-day median for Optical/Photonics IC Design roles.
Optical/Photonics IC Design · Photonics
|
Open roles in category
136
|
Median days open
80 d
|
Median salary
$195k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | MKS Instruments | All employers we track in this specialty (136 roles · 30 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 136 |
| Median days open | 125 d | 80 d (+45 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $195k |
Skills observed across this category: optical paths, hybrid systems, modeling software, free-space, fiber-optic, Zemax
Who's hiring in this category
- Coherent Corp · 17 open roles · median 96 d
- GlobalFoundries · 16 open roles · median 82 d
- Lightmatter · 14 open roles · median 101 d
- Lumentum · 10 open roles · median 83 d
- Marvell Technology · 10 open roles · median 38 d
- Intel Corporation · 7 open roles · median 66 d
How we counted: 136 open Optical/Photonics IC Design (Photonics) roles from 30 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 26 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. Figures refresh nightly.