Principal Optical Engineer - Optical Metrology

Neurophos • Austin, TX

1d • $245,000 - $280,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Neurophos is hiring a Principal Optical Engineer – Optical Metrology to define and build its free-space optical metrology capability. The company’s optical engine images thousands of parallel beams onto metasurface and detector arrays with micron-scale pixels, requiring precise measurement of components and assemblies.

The role will determine what is measured, how it is measured, and with what uncertainty; develop or source measurement stations; and turn measurement data into decisions for design, active alignment, suppliers, and production. The engineer will serve as the company’s technical authority on optical measurement and collaborate with optical design, optomechanics, photonics, packaging, and manufacturing teams. The position is full-time and onsite in Austin, Texas, and reports to the VP, Optics.

Requirements

• PhD or M.S. in Optical Sciences, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field; a PhD is preferred.
• 10 or more years of hands-on optical metrology and test experience, including building measurement capability for precision optical products from development through production.
• Deep expertise in interferometry, wavefront sensing, and image-quality measurement, including MTF, PSF, and distortion, plus working knowledge of polarimetry and radiometry.
• Experience designing custom test stations, including their optics, mechanics, calibration, and software, and quantifying measurement uncertainty.
• Strong grounding in physical and Fourier optics, aberration theory, and Gaussian beam propagation.
• Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for instrument control, image processing, and data analysis.
• Working knowledge of an optical design tool such as Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V, or equivalent to model test setups and relate measurements to tolerances.
• Ability to explain measurement results and their limitations to design, manufacturing, supplier, and executive audiences.
• Comfort using AI tools in day-to-day engineering work.

Nice To Haves

• Infrared metrology experience, including use of infrared cameras.
• Experience supporting active alignment, including selecting alignment metrics and verifying aligned assemblies.
• Experience setting up production testing and incoming inspection with contract manufacturers and optics suppliers, including statistical process control.
• Experience with near-field and far-field fiber-mode measurement and coupling-efficiency testing.
• Experience in a startup or early-stage hardware team building both the lab and the product.

Responsibilities

• Define the optical metrology roadmap for R&D, prototype builds, and volume production, including measurement methods and uncertainty targets.
• Translate system-level optical requirements and tolerance budgets into measurable component and assembly specifications with optical design and optomechanics teams.
• Decide which metrology capabilities to build internally, purchase, or source from suppliers and test labs.
• Design, build, and validate optical test stations for interferometry, wavefront sensing, MTF and PSF measurement, beam profiling, polarimetry, spectral transmission and reflectance, scatter, and stray light.
• Develop custom microlens-array measurement methods for lenslet-by-lenslet focal length, wavefront, and pointing.
• Develop camera-based metrology for spot position, pitch, distortion, and registration across large fields of beams or pixels.
• Specify and procure commercial instruments, and lead development of custom optics, reference artifacts, and software for test stations.
• Establish measurement uncertainty budgets, calibration, traceability, gauge R&R, and correlation among stations, suppliers, and simulation.
• Build data pipelines and analysis tools that convert raw measurements into pass/fail results, trends, and feedback to optical and tolerance models.
• Define incoming-inspection methods and acceptance criteria for precision optics, and correlate measurements with suppliers.
• Transfer test methods and stations to assembly partners and contract manufacturers, and support yield analysis and failure root-cause investigations.
• Serve as the company’s authority on optical measurement in design reviews and supplier qualifications.
• Communicate measurement results, risks, and capability gaps to engineering and executive audiences.
• Hire, lead, and mentor metrology engineers and technicians as the team grows.

Benefits

• 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for employees and dependents, plus HSA contributions.
• Unlimited PTO.
• 401(k) matching.
• Stock option opportunities.
• Voluntary dental, vision, life, hospital, critical illness, and accident insurance.
• Personalized benefits plans, with the option to take cash back for plans not selected.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal