Senior Principal Optical Engineer

Coherent Corp.

Senior Principal Optical Engineer developing optical systems and supporting new product introduction for Coherent. Working with an innovative team on optical design and project management responsibilities.

Posted 4/15/2026full-timeSanta Clara • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $127,875 - $223,813 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Assembly

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Conduct all activities in a manner consistent with Coherent’s corporate values and Code of Conduct
Provide professional technical support to internal departments, sales and marketing teams worldwide, and customers as needed
Introduce and help develop efficient and improved methods for optical system assembly and inspection as needed
Involved directly with new product development projects incorporating optical, electrical, mechanical, software and system integration engineering functions
Ensure meeting project schedule and timelines and milestones, and the completion of complex cross-disciplinary activities within project team
Conduct and well manage design documents, ECR/ECO, design change implementation in new product release process
Communicates project status and progresses to management as appropriate, including recommendations on resources, process development, and product improvement and management
Individual contributor on the project team in addition to project management responsibilities.

Requirements

What you’ll need

MS or Ph. D in Optics, Optical Engineering, Opto-mechanical instrumentation
10+ years’ experience in design, simulation, testing, and inspection of fiber optics, optical imaging systems, laser, illumination or other optical systems
A minimum of 5 years’ experience in optical design and simulations for fiber optics, Si-Photonics, laser, life science, LiDAR, machine vision and other related industries
Strong foundation in Si-Photonics, optics, physics, fiber optics, optical networks system
Proficient in using optical design tools – e.g. OptiStudio, Code-V etc. to do Optical system design, simulations, optimization, tolerance analysis
Hands-on experiences in optical design for industries within semiconductors, fiber optics, machine vision, and laser
Knowledgeable and experienced with precision mechanical components and manufacturing, materials for fiber optical modules and assemblies
Able to utilize various equipment and to develop test plans for optical devices and optical components, assemblies and systems for engineering and production
Ability to communicate in Mandarin Chinese is preferable
Preferred U.S. Citizen or Permanent Residence due to possible sensitive IP discussion with U.S. customers.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Regular use of a computer and other office equipment
Interaction with team members and external contacts is a regular part of the job
May require occasional overtime and flexibility in work hours to accommodate the executive’s needs

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

optical designsimulationtestinginspectionoptical systemsSi-Photonicslaserilluminationtolerance analysisoptical system optimization

Soft Skills

communicationproject managementteam collaborationproblem-solvingresource management

Certifications

MS in OpticsPh.D. in Optical Engineering