Staff Optical Engineer

About us:

MicroVision is at the forefront of driving the global adoption of innovative perception solutions, with the goal of making mobility and autonomy safer. Our engineering excellence, based in Washington State, Washington D.C., Hamburg, Germany and Orlando, Florida, enables us to develop and supply integrated lidar hardware and perception software solutions. Our proprietary technologies enhance safety and automation across various industrial applications, including robotics, automated warehouses, and agriculture, and are instrumental in the development of autonomous systems. MicroVision’s core technology, initially developed for the automotive industry, continues to accelerate advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. Building on our history of providing technology to the military segment, our target offerings include semi- and fully autonomous airborne and terrestrial sensor systems. With our solid-state lidar technologies, encompassing FMCW and MEMS-based long-range lidar and flash-based short-range lidar, integrated with our onboard perception software, MicroVision possesses the expertise to deliver safe mobility at the speed of life.

To strengthen our team at the Orlando location, we are looking for a Staff Optical Engineer. As a key member of MicroVision's Optical Systems Engineering team, you will collaborate with various technical teams in the company to design and take into production market defining Automotive LiDAR product.

Summary:

In this role you will support the design, analysis, and realization of advanced LiDAR optical architectures. This role blends optical component ownership with significant interaction at the optical system level, supporting new product development from concept through early build phases. The engineer in this position will be responsible for defining optical component requirements, performing detailed analysis, and working directly with global optical suppliers to ensure designs meet performance, manufacturability, and quality expectations. This role emphasizes strong technical ownership, hands ‑ on validation, and close collaboration across optical, opto ‑ mechanical, mechanical, and electrical engineering teams.

Objectives of This Role:

Own optical component and subsystem definitions within LiDAR architectures

Translate system ‑ level performance needs into clear optical requirements and specifications

Ensure optical designs are robust, tolerant, and manufacturable

Serve as a technical interface between internal teams and external optical suppliers

Your responsibilities:

Design and analyze optical components and subsystems using Zemax (OpticStudio)

Perform optical system analysis, including performance trade studies and sensitivity assessments

Conduct FRED based non sequential and stray light analysis

Perform optical tolerance analysis to assess alignment and manufacturing sensitivities

Support lens design, optimization, and performance evaluation

Define and document lens requirements, coatings and optical specifications

Develop and execute optical lab setups for model validation and hardware characterization

Work closely with global optical suppliers to review designs, specifications, and manufacturing approaches

Provide technical guidance and review of optical designs and analyses across programs, ensuring consistency, rigor, and best ‑ practice application

Collaborate with opto-mechanical engineers to define alignment strategies and tolerances

Support documentation, reviews, and technical decision making throughout development phases

Our requirements:

7–15+ years of industry experience in optical engineering with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Optics, Physics or related field.

Strong proficiency with Zemax (OpticStudio) for modeling, optimization, and tolerance analysis

Hands‑on experience with lens design and optical component development

Demonstrated ability to perform optical system‑level analysis

Experience defining optical requirements and specifications

Hands-on experience developing and analyzing solutions using MATLAB, Python, or similar programming tools

Experience defining and reviewing optical coating specifications

Hands‑on experience designing and executing optical lab setups

Experience working with global suppliers on optical components

Ability to work across modeling, lab validation, and design iteration cycles

Preferred Qualifications

Experience using FRED for stray light and non‑sequential optical analysis

Experience with laser ‑ based optical systems

Background in LiDAR, imaging systems, or active optical sensors

Familiarity with opto ‑ mechanical integration and alignment methods

Experience supporting new product development or early production builds

Experience interacting directly with optical vendors during development cycles

MS or PhD in Optical Engineering