Senior Principal Optical Engineer - Santa Clara, CA, United States
Originally posted 14 April 2026 by the employer.
Design and qualify optical systems and co-package optics assemblies within the Advanced Optics Business Unit.
About the role
This position is part of the New Product Introduction design team within Coherent's Advanced Optics Business Unit, researching, designing, developing, testing, and qualifying optical systems and opto-mechanical assemblies. Technical scope spans co-package optics, fiber optics, objectives, and microscope sub-assemblies through prototyping to volume production.
What you'll do
- Lead new product development projects integrating optical, electrical, mechanical, software, and system integration engineering functions.
- Perform optical system design, simulations, optimization, and tolerance analysis using optical design tools such as OptiStudio or Code-V.
- Conduct and manage design documentation, ECR/ECO processes, and design change implementation during new product release.
- Introduce and develop methods for optical system assembly and inspection, establishing test plans for optical devices, components, and assemblies.
- Interface directly with customers, sales, marketing, and manufacturing teams to bring optical products from prototyping to volume production.
- Apply DfX and DfM principles to resolve complex issues in optical design and opto-mechanical product development.
What you'll need
- MS or Ph.D. in Optics, Optical Engineering, or Opto-mechanical instrumentation (BS with suitable hands-on experience considered).
- 10+ years of experience in design, simulation, testing, and inspection of fiber optics, optical imaging systems, laser, illumination, or related optical systems.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in optical design and simulations for fiber optics, Si-Photonics, laser, life science, LiDAR, machine vision, or related industries.
- Proficiency with optical design tools such as OptiStudio or Code-V for design, simulation, optimization, and tolerance analysis.
- Demonstrated hands-on optical design experience in semiconductors, fiber optics, machine vision, or laser systems.
- Working knowledge of precision mechanical components, manufacturing processes, and materials for fiber optical modules and assemblies.
Nice to have
- Experience with Co-package optical design and architecture.
- Experience working in an optical or Si-Photonics manufacturing environment handling multiple optical and opto-mechanical assembly projects.
- Ability to communicate in Mandarin Chinese.
- Advanced educational qualifications beyond MS/Ph.D. requirements.
Skills: optical design, fiber optics, Si-Photonics, laser, optical imaging systems
This role has been open 194 days — well above the 79-day median for Optical/Photonics IC Design roles.
Optical/Photonics IC Design · Photonics
|
Open roles in category
136
|
Median days open
79 d
|
Median salary
$195k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Coherent Corp | All employers we track in this specialty (136 roles · 30 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 17 | 136 |
| Median days open | 96 d | 79 d (+17 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $195k |
Skills observed across this category: optical design, fiber optics, Si-Photonics, laser, optical imaging systems
Who's hiring in this category
- Coherent Corp (this employer) · 17 open roles · median 95 d
- GlobalFoundries · 16 open roles · median 81 d
- Lightmatter · 14 open roles · median 100 d
- Lumentum · 10 open roles · median 82 d
- Marvell Technology · 10 open roles · median 37 d
- Intel Corporation · 7 open roles · median 65 d
How we counted: 136 open Optical/Photonics IC Design (Photonics) roles from 30 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 25 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.