Staff Optical Engineer

Job Title

Staff Optical Engineer

Role Summary

Lead design and development of optical subsystems for next-generation semiconductor metrology and inspection systems. Work across the full optical stack from sources and illumination to imaging and detection to enable precise nanometer-scale measurements.

Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, systems, and algorithm teams to integrate optical solutions into production-capable systems.

Experience Level

Senior level — requires 7+ years of experience in optical system design and development.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead design, analysis, and validation of advanced optical systems and modules for semiconductor metrology and inspection.
• Develop optical architectures across UV to IR wavelengths, including sources, illumination, imaging optics, and detection strategies.
• Perform optical modeling and simulation, including tolerancing, stray light analysis, and performance optimization.
• Define specifications and collaborate with external suppliers to develop and qualify optical components and assemblies.
• Drive prototyping, integration, and experimental validation of optical subsystems, including alignment and testing.
• Develop calibration methodologies and procedures to ensure measurement accuracy and system stability.
• Create documentation, test instructions, and integration workflows to support manufacturing, service, and field use.
• Provide technical leadership and mentor junior engineers.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience:

• 7+ years designing and delivering optical systems and modules for measurement or imaging applications.
• Proven experience with optical simulation tools such as Zemax or Code V.
• Strong understanding of optical system performance drivers (aberrations, polarization, scattering, noise, tolerances).
• Hands-on experience with optical prototyping, alignment, and experimental testing.
• Experience working effectively in cross-disciplinary engineering teams and owning project milestones.
• Proficiency in data analysis and automation using Python or MATLAB.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience in semiconductor metrology, inspection, or lithography systems.
• Knowledge of advanced optical techniques such as scatterometry, interferometry, ellipsometry, or lithography imaging systems.
• Experience managing lens development and working with suppliers.
• Familiarity with high-precision calibration and metrology techniques.

Education Requirements

MSc or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field (as stated in the posting).

About the Company

Company: Onto Innovation

Headquarters: Wilmington, MA, United States

Onto Innovation develops process-control solutions for the semiconductor industry, offering optical inspection, 3D metrology, defect inspection, composition analysis, factory analytics, and lithography technologies to improve yield, performance, and reliability across the semiconductor value chain.