Senior Optical Engineer
| Job Type | Permanent |
| Location | Southampton |
| Area | Hampshire, England |
| Sector | Optics/Lasers |
| Salary | £65000 - £70000 per annum |
| Currency | GBP |
| Start Date | ASAP |
| Advertiser | Maria Goncalves |
| Job Ref | MG-3553 |
| Job Views | 375 |
- Description
- This role sits at the interface between R&D and New Product Introduction, acting as the technical bridge that turns advanced concepts into manufacturable products. You will be central to identifying problems, developing practical solutions, and guiding complex laser systems from development into production.
You will work on narrow-linewidth, high-power fibre laser systems, supporting system build, test definition and manufacturing readiness. The role involves close collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams and production, helping to uncover and resolve system-level challenges as products move towards volume manufacture. You will also work closely with an overseas engineering site, contributing to the scale-up of multiple product lines feeding into common end applications.
You will need strong hands-on experience with fibre laser systems, a solid engineering foundation, and the ability to take ownership of technical challenges and drive them to resolution. You should be comfortable operating across development, manufacturing, and test environments, with a strong understanding of product development and system-level problem-solving. A degree in engineering or a related technical discipline is required; a PhD is welcome but not essential. This role would suit an optical, manufacturing, or process engineer who understands laser systems and the practical challenges of bringing advanced technology to production.
This is a senior technical role with strong influence but no direct people management responsibility. You will be expected to lead debugging and build activities independently, mentor engineers and technicians where needed, and help triage issues to determine whether they are related to design, systems, or processes. The role includes defining and maintaining assembly and test documentation, supporting engineering change activity, and driving continuous improvement across product design, manufacturability and cost.
Requirements:- Strong, hands-on experience working with fibre laser systems in a development, manufacturing or test environment
- Proven ability to troubleshoot complex systems and bridge the gap between R&D and production
- Engineering degree (or equivalent experience) with a solid understanding of product development and manufacturing readiness
