Optics Application Engineer

Position Summary:

The Optics Applications Engineer is the technical owner of our printed optical and electro-optical components as they move from concept to production-grade product. You will connect our core nanofabrication technology to real-world applications - technology demonstrators, internal products, and customer programs - working alongside optical and systems engineers to translate designs into best-practice printed parts, characterize those parts as components, validate them within application systems, and mature them into reliable products.

This is a hands-on, cross-disciplinary role at the intersection of optics, electronics, precision mechanics, and nanofabrication. You will thrive here if you enjoy owning problems end-to-end and moving fluidly between the design file, the printer, the metrology bench, and the customer conversation.

What You'll Do:

• Own applications end-to-end. Serve as the primary technical contact for printing projects as they evolve from demonstrators to customer products, showcasing our nanofabrication capabilities and troubleshooting complex, high-value work.

• Engineer for the system. Understand how each printed optical or electrical component behaves within its system. Assess performance and limitations through detailed tolerance and sensitivity analyses, drawing on internal and external subject-matter experts as needed.

• Optimize the part. Analyze design files and redesign parts for additive manufacturing (DFAM) to maximize performance, reduce print time, and embed in-process and metrology monitors that safeguard quality. Generate CAD job files.

• Build the process. Define and document start-to-finish process flow. Ensure product travelers give full traceability - file slicing, print parameters, material selection, print processing, and finishing - to deliver superior physical properties, accuracy, and quality.

• Print. Support the lithography team in operating, calibrating, and maintaining two-photon printers, including material loading, post-processing, and troubleshooting.

• Own quality. Partner with the metrology team to inspect components and evaluate them in targeted application systems, refining designs to hit performance goals.

• Ensure robustness. Work with materials and packaging teams to define and run specification and validation tests that prove environmental reliability.

What You'll Bring:

• Education. Master's degree in Physics, Applied Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (or a Bachelor's degree with equivalent applied experience).

• Experience. 8+ years working with optical devices, components, or systems, including complex optical, imaging, or laser systems and optical component design, validation, and test.

• CAD. Expert-level CAD software proficiency such as SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Autodesk Netfabb, or equivalent.

• Optical system modeling. Experience with optical design tools such as Zemax or equivalent and demonstrated opto-mechanical tolerance analysis and design experience for robust, manufacturable system alignment.

• Scripting. Working knowledge of Python or a similar scripting language for process automation.

• Hands-on. Demonstrated hands-on lab skills, from prototype assembly, and optical testing, to system troubleshooting.

• Communication. Strong presentation and communication skills, with a track record of explaining complex technical concepts to customers and collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with additive manufacturing, and two-photon polymerization in particular.

• Proficiency with slicing software (e.g., Magics, Simplify3D, or proprietary printer slicers).

• Experience with electrical, mechanical, and thermal simulation.

• Background in aerospace, automotive, medical, or metrology device manufacturing.

• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced R&D environment.

• Experience using Asana for project and task management.

Compensation & Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $180,000, and we are committed to equitable compensation across the company. Total compensation includes equity in the form of stock options. We administer benefits through Thatch, providing an annual company-funded allowance that gives employees the flexibility to choose the health plans and coverage that best fit their needs. We also offer a standard four-week vacation policy and encourage folks to take regular, meaningful PTO.

About Irradiant Technologies:

Irradiant Technologies is a nano-optics and photonics foundry building unique 3D nanofabricated components, traditionally difficult or impossible to manufacture. Using two-photon polymerization additive manufacturing, we create micro-optics and passive optical interconnects that change how light is used to sense, communicate, image, display, and compute across defense and commercial markets. With our ongoing Series A fund raise, we are scaling from R&D to production and expanding our engineering team to deliver robust, integrated photonic systems. We are located in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Irradiant Technologies is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team free from discrimination and harassment, and we encourage candidates of any race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran, or disability status to apply. Applicants with a disability are encouraged to contact us with any requests for accommodation.