Optical Design Engineer | Manpower Engineering

Provide design support for ITAR projects and provide technical support for US sales team

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Prototype projects and transfer to production:
• Analysis of customer requirements and generation of product specifications.
• Design and test of optical components and systems, optical system modelling.
• Optimization of design for performance and manufacturability.
• Development of software tools for product design and test analysis.
• Transfer of new products into production.
• Subsequent support to production and customer.
• Support troubleshooting of product performance.

Key point of contact for Sales Team
Support to opportunity qualification from the technical feasibility review:
• Provide a technical interface to customers, pre-sale and post-sale customer support.
• Provide a technical interface to key partners in collaborative projects
• Coordination and generation of technical proposals to support bid process
• Propose technical solution (optical design, costings).
• Assess feasibility and risks.
• Estimate cost and timeline.

Interpersonal
Team support:
• Provide technical support and coaching for new team members.
• Maintaining strong link with  home office in the UK

Project Management Support
Provide support in:
• Ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery.
• Ensuring projects follow the current guideline on planning, delivery, and reporting.
• Flagging any obstacles in delivery against internal and external commitments.
• Communicating ideas and requirements for improvement in development process to Head of Solutions.
• Reporting progress and outcome of development activity to Head of Solutions.

Essential requirements
Qualifications and/or work experience
• A strong Master or PhD degree in Physics, Engineering or Optics/Lasers or a related field.
• 3+ years’ work experience in new product development and optical design.

Technical expertise - New Product Development:
• Understanding of capabilities of the relevant manufacturing processes.
• Design and modelling of optical elements.
• Understanding of laser beam characteristics.
• Paraxial design, Gaussian beam propagation, diffraction analysis.
• Understanding of optical test methods.
• Design and modelling in ZEMAX.
• Numerical analysis of data for performance modelling and optimisation using Matlab.
• Development of automated data processing tools.

Soft Skills
• Ability to present information clearly and succinctly to customers
• Good interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)

Desirable skills:
Familiarity with opto-mechanical assembly design and testing.

PERSONAL SKILLS, ABILITIES & VALUES
OUR Client  is at a key stage of its development and has a clearly defined set of values. The company is therefore looking for candidates who can demonstrate the following:

• Ability to lead others towards a share vision in how technological capabilities are captured and improved.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multifunctional team.
• Creativity – generating innovative solutions.
• Flexibility - developing products addressing a range of different markets.
• Customer focus – understanding and addressing (internal and external) customer requirements across different applications.
• Operating in a deadline driven environment to meet customer’s schedule and internal commitments.
• Ability to work under own initiative and drive progress.

Job career progression:
• Providing appropriate training and opportunities to take up new responsibilities within the company.
• Gaining more opportunities for external collaboration with customers and partners.
• Gaining more experience in technical leadership and coaching.

TRAVEL REQUIRED
Occasional travel may be required in order to cover attendance at training courses, industrial events and customer visits.