Senior Optical Engineer

Orion Electrotech
Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
2 weeks ago
£60,000 – £65,000 pa

Salary

£60,000 – £65,000 pa

Job Type
Permanent
Work Location
Hybrid
Seniority
Senior
Education
Degree
Posted
21 May 2026 (2 weeks ago)

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits Career progression Company pension

Senior Optical Engineer

Orion is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Optical Engineer on behalf of our client to join their dynamic engineering team. This senior-level position plays a vital role in enhancing our biometric products by leading end-to-end optical design, testing, and optimisation of imaging and illumination systems. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with cross-disciplinary teams and external suppliers to ensure our devices meet the highest standards of quality, performance, and reliability.

Responsibilities of the Senior Optical Engineer:

Design, develop, and test optical imaging and illumination systems for biometric identification devices.

Analyse tolerances and specifications for production readiness.

Communicate with global customers and suppliers regarding technical specifications.

Identify, evaluate, and test commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) optical components.

Provide technical expertise and support for project planning and development.

Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and software teams on measurement methods, sensor selection, and optical design.

Prototype, test, and optimise optical designs, troubleshooting performance issues in manufacturing and testing environments.

Requirements of the Senior Optical Engineer:

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in applied physics, Optical Design, or a related field (e.g., optics, mechanical engineering, precision mechanics).

Proven experience in optical design and testing.

Strong knowledge of geometrical optics, optical sensors (CMOS, CCD), and optical design software Zemax (including macro language).

Hands-on experience with optical breadboards, prototypes, and component testing.

Familiarity with semiconductor illumination sources such as LEDs and laser diodes.

Understanding of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Testing (DFT).

Leadership skills, with the ability to guide other optical engineers and perform multidisciplinary tasks.

Benefits for the Senior Optical Engineer:

Competitive salary and benefits.

Career progression.

Possibility of hybrid work.

Company pension.

If this Senior Optical Engineer position is of interest, please click Apply or get in touch with Steven at Orion

Related Jobs

View all jobs
Spotlight

Senior Processor Architect

Fractile London, United Kingdom
Spotlight

Semiconductor Test Engineering Team Leader

Fractile Bristol, United Kingdom
On-site

Senior Test Engineer

Teledyne FLIR St Asaph, Cymru / Wales, LL17 0RF, United Kingdom
On-site

Senior Engineer – Photonics Design

Queen's University Belfast Belfast, United Kingdom
£41 – £49 pa On-site

Senior Epitaxy Equipment Engineer

Beautiful Recruitment Silverstone, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
£60,000 – £105,000 pa On-site

Senior Analogue and Digital Electronic Design Engineer

MBDA Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
£53,000 pa

Digital Electronic Design Engineer

MBDA Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
£53,000 pa Hybrid Clearance Required

Senior SoC Architect

Graphcore Bristol, United Kingdom
On-site

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Semiconductor Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise semiconductor jobs UK in 2026: the specialist boards, academic channels and community routes that actually reach IC, fab and EDA talent. The candidate pool is one of the smallest and most specialised in any engineering discipline — spanning IC design engineers, process engineers, fab technicians, EDA tool developers, compound semiconductor physicists and power electronics specialists. General job boards are largely ineffective for semiconductor hiring. The community is tight-knit, highly academic in its roots and concentrated around a small number of university groups, fab facilities and design centres. Specialist boards, academic channels and direct community engagement are the primary sourcing strategies that work. This guide, published by SemiconductorJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise semiconductor roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.