Optical Scientist Jobs
Optical Scientist jobs are open across defense, semiconductor, medical devices, telecommunications, and government research, from new-grad associate to principal and staff levels, with specializations in laser systems, imaging optics, and fiber optics. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 19+ Optical Scientist jobs
Optical Fiber Scientist
Lightera has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application-specific optical fibers, connectors, cables, amplifiers and lasers, sensors and more. Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and delivering the best optical fibers, cables, and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To continue shaping the future of communications we apply the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.
We are currently seeking an Optical Fiber Scientist to join our division located in Somerset, NJ.
The Optical Fiber Scientist position will test and design the transmission behavior and performance of fiber-based technology, including optical fiber amplifiers and next generation transmission fibers. The position will likely include interfacing with customers, applications engineering, and development of fiber and fiber-based devices.
Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Conduct innovative research in optical fiber technology, particularly in the area of data transmission, fiber amplification and distributed sensing.
- Disseminate information at technical conferences and through direct communication with key customers.
- Conceive, design and assemble transmission system testing related to the performance of fiber products
- Contribute to external publications
- Generate intellectual property
- Work with the optical fiber fabrication team to provide input on improved fiber designs
- Interface with teams developing fiber related components, including fiber sensors, telecommunications devices, and fiber amplifiers
- Assist in establishing and executing an R&D program to support Lightera manufacturing sites, including synthesis of a long-term technology roadmap
- Contribute to and eventually lead the development of new products
- Provide technical support and applications engineering to marketing and sales teams and assist in promoting Lightera expertise and understanding new business opportunities
- Work with customers to demonstrate improved optical fiber products.
- Perform other related duties as required by management
Key qualifications include:
- Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field preferred
- Expertise in waveguide photonics, optical fiber amplifiers, transmission theory, systems architecture, and related disciplines
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, preferably as demonstrated by past publications or presentations
- Demonstrated laboratory experience working with optical components and optical fibers
- Lab automation, computer skills and proficiency with AI tools
- Ability to understand and perform optical simulations
- Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and work effectively with minimal supervision
- Proficient with MS Office Word and Excel
- Maintain discretion when working with confidential and proprietary information
- Strict adherence to Company safety policies and procedures
- Conform to all aspects of Lightera's “Standards of Conduct” document
The base salary range targeted for this role is $110,000 - $135,000 USD per year. The final salary offer will be determined based on the candidate's unique skills, qualifications, and relevant experience.
Working at Lightera means having the opportunity to realize ideas, experience innovation and discover new solutions for the future. In addition to our dynamic work environment, we offer competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including medical, dental, tuition reimbursement and a matching 401(k) plan.
Employees are expected to serve as role models for safe work practices and behaviors. This includes following established health and safety policies and procedures, maintaining a clean, organized work area, wearing, and properly storing all personal protective equipment (PPE), and actively engaging as a safety conscious worker with personal safety and wellness as a priority.
If you'd like to be part of an energetic, world leader in optic fiber solutions, please apply online at http://www.lightera.com/careers. Submissions must include salary information.
Note: Only those candidates selected for the interview process will be contacted.
Lightera, a Georgia based global company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.
Optical Fiber Scientist
Lightera has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application-specific optical fibers, connectors, cables, amplifiers and lasers, sensors and more. Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and delivering the best optical fibers, cables, and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To continue shaping the future of communications we apply the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.
We are currently seeking an Optical Fiber Scientist to join our division located in Somerset, NJ.
The Optical Fiber Scientist position will test and design the transmission behavior and performance of fiber-based technology, including optical fiber amplifiers and next generation transmission fibers. The position will likely include interfacing with customers, applications engineering, and development of fiber and fiber-based devices.
Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Conduct innovative research in optical fiber technology, particularly in the area of data transmission, fiber amplification and distributed sensing.
- Disseminate information at technical conferences and through direct communication with key customers.
- Conceive, design and assemble transmission system testing related to the performance of fiber products
- Contribute to external publications
- Generate intellectual property
- Work with the optical fiber fabrication team to provide input on improved fiber designs
- Interface with teams developing fiber related components, including fiber sensors, telecommunications devices, and fiber amplifiers
- Assist in establishing and executing an R&D program to support Lightera manufacturing sites, including synthesis of a long-term technology roadmap
- Contribute to and eventually lead the development of new products
- Provide technical support and applications engineering to marketing and sales teams and assist in promoting Lightera expertise and understanding new business opportunities
- Work with customers to demonstrate improved optical fiber products.
- Perform other related duties as required by management
Key qualifications include:
- Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field preferred
- Expertise in waveguide photonics, optical fiber amplifiers, transmission theory, systems architecture, and related disciplines
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, preferably as demonstrated by past publications or presentations
- Demonstrated laboratory experience working with optical components and optical fibers
- Lab automation, computer skills and proficiency with AI tools
- Ability to understand and perform optical simulations
- Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and work effectively with minimal supervision
- Proficient with MS Office Word and Excel
- Maintain discretion when working with confidential and proprietary information
- Strict adherence to Company safety policies and procedures
- Conform to all aspects of Lightera's “Standards of Conduct” document
The base salary range targeted for this role is $110,000 - $135,000 USD per year. The final salary offer will be determined based on the candidate's unique skills, qualifications, and relevant experience.
Working at Lightera means having the opportunity to realize ideas, experience innovation and discover new solutions for the future. In addition to our dynamic work environment, we offer competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including medical, dental, tuition reimbursement and a matching 401(k) plan.
Employees are expected to serve as role models for safe work practices and behaviors. This includes following established health and safety policies and procedures, maintaining a clean, organized work area, wearing, and properly storing all personal protective equipment (PPE), and actively engaging as a safety conscious worker with personal safety and wellness as a priority.
If you'd like to be part of an energetic, world leader in optic fiber solutions, please apply online at http://www.lightera.com/careers. Submissions must include salary information.
Note: Only those candidates selected for the interview process will be contacted.
Lightera, a Georgia based global company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.
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Find Optical Scientist JobsOptical Scientist Job Market
Who's Hiring
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in optical scientist jobs.
- Bachelor's or advanced degree in optical engineering, physics, or a closely related field
- Hands-on experience with optical design software such as Zemax OpticStudio or CODE V
- Demonstrated ability to design, build, and characterize free-space or fiber-based optical systems
- Familiarity with optical metrology tools including interferometers, profilometers, and spectrometers
- Experience with laser systems, including safety protocols and laser classification standards
- Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility to obtain one for defense and government programs
Tips for Your Optical Scientist Job Search
Tailor your resume to system-level work
Recruiters scanning optical scientist resumes look for end-to-end system experience, not just component-level skills. Describe full optical system development from design through test and integration, and call out the specific wavelengths, apertures, or performance specs you worked against.
List your simulation tools explicitly
Zemax OpticStudio, CODE V, FRED, and Oslo each signal different employer ecosystems. List every optical design or stray-light tool you've used in a dedicated skills section, because many applicant tracking systems filter on exact tool names before a human reads your resume.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists optical scientist openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by application domain
Defense and aerospace listings often require clearance eligibility upfront, while medical-device roles emphasize ISO 13485 and FDA design-control experience. Filter your search by industry domain early so you're not customizing applications for roles with hard eligibility barriers you can't clear.
Prepare a build-to-test narrative for interviews
Hiring panels at optical scientist level almost always include a hands-on breadboard or alignment exercise, or ask you to walk through a past testbed design. Prepare a crisp story for one system you built and characterized, covering your error budget assumptions and how measured performance compared to your model.
Negotiate on publication and IP rights
Many optical scientist roles in defense and government-contractor settings include broad IP assignment clauses that cover personal projects. Before signing an offer, review the invention-assignment agreement and ask whether you can carve out any prior work or side research that predates your employment start date.
Optical Scientist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most optical scientists?
The companies hiring the most optical scientists right now include MANTECH, Lightera, and SETI Institute, with the largest share of openings in Virginia, New Hampshire, and Iowa, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Defense contractors, national laboratories, and semiconductor equipment manufacturers consistently account for the largest volume of postings.
How many optical scientist jobs are remote?
About 33% of optical scientist openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, which is lower than the cross-industry average because most roles require access to lab equipment, cleanrooms, or controlled testbeds. Computational optics, optical system modeling, and tolerance analysis roles are the sub-areas most likely to allow remote or hybrid arrangements.
How do you become an optical scientist?
You become an optical scientist by earning at least a bachelor's degree in optical engineering, physics, or electrical engineering, then developing hands-on lab skills through university research, co-ops, or internships. Build proficiency in at least one major optical design tool, work through real system builds from design to test, and pursue graduate study if you want to move into research-heavy or principal-level roles.
How do you get hired as an optical scientist with little experience?
Entry-level optical scientist roles typically go to candidates who can show lab work from a thesis or senior capstone, even if it was small in scope. Document any system you aligned, characterized, or modeled with specific performance numbers. Apply to positions at national laboratories, university spinouts, and small photonics companies, which are more likely to hire new graduates than large defense primes requiring immediate independent contributor output.
What does the optical scientist interview process look like?
The optical scientist interview process typically begins with a recruiter screen focused on background and tool experience, followed by a technical phone interview with a senior engineer covering optical design principles, aberration theory, or error budgeting. Final rounds usually include a panel interview with cross-functional team members and a technical presentation or whiteboard exercise where you walk through a past system design or troubleshooting scenario in detail.
Where can I find and apply to optical scientist jobs?
You can find and apply to optical scientist jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that fit your background, then apply directly to each one that matches your experience and specialization.
See All 19 Optical Scientist Jobs
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