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Director Optical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Fibertek

Optical Communication Engineer

Herndon, VA · On-site

$132K - $171K/yr

Job duties: As an optical communications engineer, you will be responsible for designing and ... You will use your direct hands-on experience to support the build, alignment, and performance ...

nLIGHT

Senior Optical Engineer

Camas, WA · On-site

$103K - $135K/yr

Summary The Directed Energy Laser Development group has an opening for a Senior Optical Engineer to support the development of high-power fiber amplifiers. This position will develop next-generation ...

nLIGHT

Senior Optical Engineer

Camas, WA

$103K - $135K/yr

Summary The Directed Energy Laser Development group has an opening for a Senior Optical Engineer to support the development of high-power fiber amplifiers. This position will develop next-generation ...

nLIGHT

Senior Optical Engineer

Camas, WA · On-site

$103K - $135K/yr

Summary The Directed Energy Laser Development group has an opening for a Senior Optical Engineer to support the development of high-power fiber amplifiers. This position will develop next-generation ...

nLIGHT

Senior Optical Engineer

Camas, WA · On-site

Summary The Directed Energy Laser Development group has an opening for a Senior Optical Engineer to support the development of high-power fiber amplifiers. This position will develop next-generation ...

PZI International

Aero-Optics Engineer

Huntsville, AL · On-site

$120K - $155K/yr

This position includes developing optical instrumentation for integration into one-of-a-kind ... While direct experience with aero-optics instrumentation, wind tunnel testing, or data analysis and ...

PZI International

Aero-Optics Engineer

Huntsville, AL · On-site

$120K - $155K/yr

This position includes developing optical instrumentation for integration into one-of-a-kind ... While direct experience with aero-optics instrumentation, wind tunnel testing, or data analysis and ...

Marvell

Optical Engineer, Senior Staff

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$151K - $196K/yr

... of engineering design, process development, and productization for Marvell's optics DCI product ... Direct experience in the standard Si/CMOS/MEMS process technologies required for fabrication and ...

Fibertek, Inc

Optical Communication Engineer

Herndon, VA · On-site

$132K - $171K/yr

Job Title Optical Communication Engineer Location Herndon, VA - Herndon, VA 20171 US (Primary ... You will use your direct hands-on experience to support the build, alignment, and performance ...

NSS

Sr. Optical Communications Engineer

Herndon, VA

$132K - $171K/yr

Senior Optical Communication Engineer Would you enjoy working with a collaborative team of ... You will use your direct hands-on experience to support the design, fabrication, and qualification ...

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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 Jun 7, 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 May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $143,611 per year, or $69 per hour.
Optical Engineer - Lighting Products

Optical Engineer - Lighting Products

Legrand North America

Chicago, IL • On-site

$120K - $130K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

Position Description
At a Glance
Legrand has an exciting opportunity for a Optical Engineer - Lighting Products to join the Focal Point Team in Chicago, IL. The Optical Engineer will design, develop, and optimize optical systems for advanced lighting products. The ideal candidate will work closely with mechanical, electrical, and industrial design teams to create high-performance optical solutions that deliver superior illumination quality, efficiency, and visual comfort. This role requires strong expertise in optical design, simulation, prototyping, and validation of LED-based lighting systems. This position reports to the Sr. Director, Engineering.
What Will You Do?
  • Design and develop optical systems for LED lighting products, including lenses, reflectors, light guides, diffusers, and optical films.
  • Perform optical modeling and simulation to optimize light distribution, efficiency, and glare control.
  • Develop optical concepts that meet photometric, aesthetic, and regulatory requirements.
  • Use optical simulation software (e.g., LightTools, Zemax OpticStudio, TracePro, or LucidShape) to model and validate designs.
  • Collaborate with mechanical engineering teams to integrate optics into manufacturable luminaire designs.
  • Work with suppliers to develop and evaluate optical components such as lenses, reflectors, and diffusers.
  • Build and test prototypes, conduct photometric measurements, and validate optical performance using goniophotometers and integrating spheres.
  • Analyze test data and iterate designs to improve performance, uniformity, and efficiency.
  • Ensure compliance with relevant lighting standards and regulations (IES, UL, energy codes).
  • Support new product development from concept through production release.

Key Competencies:
  • Optical design and ray tracing
  • LED optics and light distribution design
  • Photometric testing and analysis
  • Cross-functional engineering collaboration
  • Product development lifecycle management

Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's or master's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
Experience:
  • 3+ years of experience in optical design for LED lighting or illumination systems (commercial, architectural, automotive, or consumer lighting).
  • Strong understanding of non-imaging optics and illumination design.
  • Experience with optical simulation and ray-tracing software.
  • Knowledge of LED sources, color mixing, light extraction, and glare control techniques.
  • Experience working with injection-molded optics, reflectors, and light guide technologies.
  • Familiarity with photometric measurement equipment and lighting standards.

Preferred Skills:
  • Experience designing optics for architectural or commercial luminaires.
  • Familiarity with IESNA lighting standards and photometric files (IES/LDT).
  • Experience with tolerance analysis and optical manufacturing constraints.
  • Knowledge of human-centric lighting, color quality (CRI/TM-30), and glare metrics (UGR).
  • Experience with CAD tools such as SolidWorks or PTC Creo.

Salary Range: $120,000 - $130,000 starting base plus bonus
Company Info
About Legrand
Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Our comprehensive offering of solutions for residential, commercial, and data center markets makes us a benchmark for customers worldwide. We harness technological and societal trends with lasting impacts on buildings with the purpose of improving life by transforming the spaces where people live, work, and meet with electrical and digital infrastructures and connected solutions that are simple, innovative, and sustainable. Legrand is a global, publicly traded company listed on the Euronext (Legrand SA EPA: LR). For more information, visit www.legrandgroup.com/en
About Legrand North and Central America
Legrand, North & Central America (LNCA) is a leader in the AV, Lighting & Controls, Electrical, and Data Center markets. LNCA offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as distinctive benefits like a high employer 401K match, paid time off (PTO) and holiday pay, short-term and long-term disability benefit plans, above-benchmark paid maternity and parental leave, bonus opportunities in accordance with the Company's incentive plans, paid time off to volunteer, and an active/growing Employee Resource Group network. For more information, visit legrand.us
About Legrand's Lighting Sector
Legrand's Lighting Sector consists of five lighting brands; Pinnacle, Finelite, Focal Point, and OCL which focus on architectural, decorative, and downlighting and Kenall which focuses on lighting for demanding environments. We employ a talented group of employees that love lighting to design and manufacture high performance, energy efficient LED lighting solutions for applications in commercial, educational, healthcare, as well as challenging environments such as tunnels and correctional facilities. With an eye toward sustainable design, our focus is on specification-oriented products and solutions that meet the functional needs of spaces while working in harmony with the designer's vision for those spaces. We work with architects, engineers, and contractors to supply lighting built specifically for their client's projects.
http://www.legrand.us
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