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Director Optical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

DigiLens Inc.

Be Seen First

Optical Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$135K - $165K/yr

... as directed. * Write, maintain, and follow process documentation as needed. * Generate clear ... Bachelor's degree in optics, physics, or a related engineering discipline. * 3 to 5 years of ...

SAIC

Optical Engineer

Denver, CO · On-site

$132K - $171K/yr

... direct influence and impact on program development and operations. Our team has Subject Matter ... The Senior Optical Project Engineer will work in a collaborative team-focused environment of U.S.

SAIC

Optical Engineer

Denver, CO · On-site +1

$132K - $171K/yr

... direct influence and impact on program development and operations. Our team has Subject Matter ... The Senior Optical Project Engineer will work in a collaborative team-focused environment of U.S.

SAIC

Optical Engineer

Denver, CO · On-site

$132K - $171K/yr

... direct influence and impact on program development and operations. Our team has Subject Matter ... The Senior Optical Project Engineer will work in a collaborative team-focused environment of U.S.

Applied Energetics, Inc

Senior Optical Engineer

Tucson, AZ · On-site

$110K - $143K/yr

Guided by our vision, " Directed Energy, Anywhere ", we build compact, high-performance systems ... Why This Role Matters We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Optical Engineer to play a key role in ...

Applied Energetics, Inc

Senior Optical Engineer

Tucson, AZ · On-site

$115K - $165K/yr

Guided by our vision, " Directed Energy, Anywhere ", we build compact, high-performance systems ... Why This Role Matters We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Optical Engineer to play a key role in ...

Aeva, Inc.

Optical Engineer

Mountain View, CA

$132K - $179K/yr

Direct specification development for detailed drawings of optical components * Generate and document new IP What you have: * Bachelors or Masters in optical engineering, physics, or related field ...

Aeva, Inc.

Optical Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$132K - $179K/yr

Direct specification development for detailed drawings of optical components * Generate and document new IP What you have: * Bachelors or Masters in optical engineering, physics, or related field ...

Aeva, Inc.

Optical Engineer

Mountain View, CA

$132K - $179K/yr

Direct specification development for detailed drawings of optical components * Generate and document new IP What you have: * Bachelors or Masters in optical engineering, physics, or related field ...

ITW Miller

Sr. Optical Engineer

Appleton, WI

$122K - $158K/yr

However, expertise in optical engineering with the ability to develop competency in material ... Direct experience with fiber laser welding processes. * Experience with laser process monitoring ...

Trialon Corporation

Optical Engineer

Auburn Hills, MI · On-site

$122K - $158K/yr

... direct placements. Trialon provides people throughout North America in many technical fields ... Bachelor's degree in Engineering (in optics/physics) or Engineering/Mathematics background or ...

Trialon Corporation

Optical Engineer

Auburn Hills, MI

$122K - $158K/yr

... direct placements. Trialon provides people throughout North America in many technical fields ... Bachelor's degree in Engineering (in optics/physics) or Engineering/Mathematics background or ...

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All JobsOptical Engineer JobsDirector Optical Engineer Jobs

Director Optical Engineer information

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$83K

$143.6K

$168.5K

How much do director optical engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for director optical engineer in the United States is $143,611.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $129,000.00 and $167,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Director Optical Engineer vs Optical Engineer?

AspectDirector Optical EngineerOptical Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's/PhD in optics, physics, or engineering; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in optics, physics, or engineering
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles in R&D, product development, managing teamsDesign, testing, and development of optical systems
Industry UsageStrategic oversight, project management, cross-department coordinationHands-on technical work, prototype development, testing

The main difference is that a Director Optical Engineer focuses on strategic leadership, team management, and project oversight, while an Optical Engineer is primarily involved in technical design and development tasks. The director role requires more experience and leadership skills, whereas the optical engineer role emphasizes technical expertise and hands-on work.

More about Director Optical Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Director Optical Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Director Optical Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Optical Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Optical Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Director Optical Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Director Optical Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Director Optical Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Director Optical Engineer jobs are:
Director Optical Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Optical Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, and 6% Part Time. Highlights an 82% In-person, and 18% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $143,611 per year, or $69 per hour.

Director, Optical Engineer

Applied Materials

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

$210K - $289K/yr

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago

New

Applied Materials rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 57 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

17th of 536 rated manufacturers

Job description

Who We Are
Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips - the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world - like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.
What We Offer
Salary:
$210,000.00 - $289,000.00
Location:
Santa Clara,CA
You'll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible-while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.
At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We're committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.
The Optical Engineering Director - Imagine and Process Control Group (IPC) will own technically leadership and/or execution of engineering projects and spearhead research and development of new technologies as appropriate. This person will lead an Engineering team, and partner will business leaders on new and existing products/projects.
Key Responsibilities
  • Managing a team of Optical Engineers across multiple programs
  • Lead and/or develop and execute significantly complex system projects. Oversees and approves designs in team design reviews. Takes active part in the design of complex modules / sub-modules. Approve qualification results of complex modules
  • Defines experiments and determines the type of meaningful data required to support evaluation and technical decision
  • Problem identification and troubleshooting a wide range of significantly complex problems. Oversees and approves research and analysis results. Supports high level / complex physics related application and system issues in the lab and in the field when required.
  • Function as specialist for physics/scientists issues, while influencing and utilizing expertise in interfacing with external and internal customers, lead and/or develop and execute system projects, troubleshooting system problems, and defining system specifications and schedules. Regularly interacts with senior managers on matters involving several functional areas, departments or customers concerning projects, operations and schedules. Interactions require the ability to change thinking or gain the acceptance of others in sensitive situations. Reviews and approves system and sub-system requirements and specifications designed by other team members.
  • Apply advanced principles, theories, and concepts. Contributes to the development of new principles and concepts. Takes an active part in product risk management discussions leveraging his / her expertise and knowledge to influence and drive risk management decisions. Works with marketing to define tool specification and performance.
  • Initiates innovative physics/science projects, which extend boundaries of system performance or techno. Leads the selection and management of strategic vendors. Maintains relationships with outside customers of innovation, Universities, Consortia. Leads technological customer engagements driving innovation & development. Meets high level executives on the customer side effecting customer decision making
  • Provide mentoring for less experienced physicist/scientists.
  • Research new technologies and analyze competition technology. Evaluate new technologies. Plan and execute complex feasibility studies of new technologies and lead the decision-making process. Prepare and deliver papers regarding new technologies, share and promote new ideas and capabilities. Plans and executes feasibility studies of complete systems / sub-systems, leveraging new technologies and design concepts. Leads the demonstration of new capabilities and drives the decision-making process

Skills, Knowledge, Experience & Education
At Applied Materials, Make Possible® is about unlocking new opportunities - with our customers and within our own company.
The ideal candidate will have the following:
  • 20+ years of experience within the optical design engineering field (including 8+ yrs leading Engineering teams) for the development of high-performance optical systems used in the semiconductor industry.
  • Experience leading teams in all aspects of the design cycle from specification development, design, supplier support, part verification, and integration.
  • Provide support for system alignment procedures and tooling development.
  • Experience developing optical systems and have experience working in a product development environment.
  • Regarded as the technical expert in their particular field
  • Demonstrates in-depth and/or breadth of expertise in own discipline and broad knowledge of other disciplines within the function
  • Responsible for the development of major optical subsystems. Work with system engineers to develop design specifications and trade-offs between sub-systems.
  • Collaborate and communicate with suppliers during design of critical optical sub-assemblies.
  • Evaluate and analyze optical systems. Understand performance limits and manufacturability.
  • Develop alignment strategies and tooling.
  • Develop and maintain error budgets and define subsystem level requirements to be characterized and validated during the system alpha testing phase for current and future products.
  • Use customer and system requirements to derive design specifications for subsystems, modules, and components and provide input to design engineers throughout the design process.

Other Suitability Factors
We are a catalyst to unlock the power of our customers' ideas and are committed to overcoming challenges that seem insurmountable.
To succeed in this role requires a capacity for complexity and temperament that includes:
  • A very mature individual with the right balance of confidence and humility.
  • Exceptional ability to absorb and handle stress.
  • Process oriented while also strongly developing and relying on interpersonal relationships across the company
  • Ability to connect equally well upwards, downwards and sideways in the organization
  • Self-motivated and driven towards excellence
  • A high level of EQ to be able to manage across a large team with significant diversity
  • An inspiring leader
  • Very strong ability to translate multi-dimensional market requirements into engineering specifications. This would also include negotiating with the various stakeholders.
  • Analyzing, processing and decision-making based on multidisciplinary and multi-functional data sources that could frequently be incomplete.
  • Ability to distinguish between and prioritizing urgent and important issues
  • Situational awareness and complex decision-making ability appropriate for the situation

Additional Information
Time Type:
Full time
Employee Type:
Assignee / Regular
Travel:
Yes, 10% of the Time
Relocation Eligible:
Yes
The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.
For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.
Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at Accommodations_Program@amat.com, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

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About Applied Materials

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Applied Materials is the global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We're the brain (and the brawn) behind every new technology development--whether it's building semiconductor chips for smartphones and computers, or the underpinnings for robotics, AI and even smart TV display screens. With 27,000 employees in 19 countries, we offer an exciting place to grow and learn alongside some of the best people you'll ever meet. We take deep pride in our Culture of Inclusion, and we celebrate the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences that help us build stronger, more resilient teams. Join us as we innovate to Make Possible a Better Future!

Industry

Manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Clara, CA, US

Year founded

1967

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