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Director Optical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

NSS

Sr. Optical Communications Engineer

Herndon, VA · On-site

$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 ...

Apple

Optical Simulation Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$159K - $206K/yr

The Optical Engineering team within Camera Core Technology Engineering is seeking a Simulation ... Strong communication and interpersonal skills; excellent judgment; a self-directed, proactive ...

NSS

Sr. Optical Communications Engineer II

Herndon, VA · On-site

$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 ...

NSS

Sr. Optical Communications Engineer II

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.

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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.
Sr. Optical Communications Engineer

Sr. Optical Communications Engineer

NSS

Herndon, VA • On-site

$132K - $171K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

Senior Optical Communication Engineer

Would you enjoy working with a collaborative team of engineers to design and build satellite based optical communications laser terminals including optical inter-satellite links (OISL) and direct to earth links? Fibertek is looking for an optical communication engineer to join our Herndon, VA team to help pave the way for tomorrow's advancement in space exploration. You will embrace a team atmosphere while being empowered to make decisions in your area of expertise.

Your JobAs an optical communications engineer, you will be responsible for designing and building optical space terminals. Work includes optical space lasercom systems design, leading hand-on building of space flight optical flight terminals, and leading the performance and environmental verification testing for space. Design and work with some of the smartest minds in engineering actively involved in current high-profile NASA and DOD missions. You will use your direct hands-on experience to support the design, fabrication, and qualification of laser communication terminals, optical modems, and optical pointing and tracking systems. Activities include coordinating a multidisciplinary team of engineers to the successful completion of next generation laser communication terminals and optical modems while supporting multiple concurrent projects with a mix of short-duration flight programs and long-duration technology maturation programs.Required Skills and ExperienceTo succeed as a senior optical communications engineer, you will need the following expertise and experience:
  • MS or PhD. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or other related engineering specialties with a minimum of 7 years direct hands-on designing, building, and characterizing optical systems.
  • Knowledge of telecommunications standards and industry best practices associated
  • Ability to design and execute experiments validating communications system performance and correlate the results with the expected performance.
  • Ability to lead space flight hardware builds.
  • Experience with modeling and simulation of optical systems using industry standard tools such as MATLAB, MATHCAD, ZEMAX or equivalent software tools
  • Developing and setting requirements and design tolerances
  • Experience with high-speed electrical circuits and radio frequency systems.
  • Strong communication and documentation skills for efficient multidisciplinary coordination
  • Ability to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges demonstrating ingenuity and creativity
Desired Qualifications:
  • Expertise in free space optical communications systems, link budgets, waveforms, standards.
  • Understanding of opto-mechanical, thermo-optic tolerance and stability.
  • Experience in position navigation and tracking technologies.
  • Pointing and tracking expertise.
  • Strong background in signal processing
  • Strong background in sensors and electronics designs
  • Aerospace industry experience.
Please apply today for this Herndon-based optical communications engineer role.
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Job Summary
Company
Fibertek, Inc.
Employment Term
Regular
Employment Type
Full Time
Salary and Benefits
Paid time off such as PTO, Health insurance, Life insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Retirement benefits or accounts, Healthcare spending or reimbursement accounts, such as FSAs, Long term disability insurance, Short term disability insurance, Tuition assistance, Wellness programs, Employee recognition programs, Relocation assistance, Commuting/travel assistance, Telecommuting options, Workplace perks such as recreation activities, food and coffee, and flexible work schedules!
Required Education
Master's Degree
Required Experience
7 to 20+ years
Why Fibertek, Inc?At FIBERTEK, Inc. we pride ourselves in our innovation and customer success focused culture enabled by a creative and relaxed work environment with minimal bureaucracy. Fibertek fosters a progressive learning environment that values inspiration, promotes professional challenge and encourages personal growth. We offer a competitive and incentivized compensation package with excellent benefits.
Fibertek, Inc. is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Applicants are considered regardless of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable law.
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About NSS

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

NSS RPO was founded by Jessica Nicholson and Conor Nicholson in 2009. They saw the need for a nice services company that valued their employees by putting them first. With Jessica’s organizational skills and strategy along with Conor’s network, the company employed 25 contract recruiters in less than a year and proceeded to make the Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in America, three years in a row. Since its inception, NSS RPO has hired hundreds of recruiters in over 30 states. NSS RPO is proud to include among its clients eight of the ten largest government contractors, the world's largest job board, entertainment company and one of the nation’s largest banks. NSS RPO is your trusted provider of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions. Founded by an experienced recruiter and solely focused on RPO, NSS RPO offers a strong network of exceptional recruiters and customizable staffing solutions. Named to Washington Business Journal’s prestigious list of Top 25 Staffing Agencies seven years in a row, NSS RPO is known for its quality, agility, and expertise. If you have a recruitment staffing need at your organization, NSS RPO can customize a solution for you, no matter how big or small.

Industry

Recruiting and staffing services

Company size

11 - 50 Employees

Headquarters location

Herndon, VA, US

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