Senior Principal Optical Systems Engineer

About the role

The Senior Principal Optical Systems Engineer will lead the architecture, design, modeling, integration, and validation of advanced optical microsystems and photonic test solutions. This individual-contributor role owns complex development efforts from concept through production release and applies deep expertise in optics and photonics to resolve multidisciplinary technical challenges. The position is based in Karlsruhe, Germany, and requires close collaboration with teams in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of advanced optical systems, micro-optical components, and photonic test solutions from concept through commercial deployment.
• Translate customer, product, and application requirements into system architectures, performance specifications, interfaces, and verification plans.
• Own system-level optical performance, manufacturability, reliability, cost, schedule, and scalability of optical subsystems.
• Drive technical decisions for complex programs with significant ambiguity, multidisciplinary dependencies, and business impact.
• Develop and validate advanced optical models using wave optics, diffraction, beam propagation, and photonic-device simulation methods.
• Lead development of optical characterization techniques, measurement methods, fixtures, and system-level verification strategies.

Required skills

• Optical engineering
• Wave optics
• Optical modeling
• Simulation
• Tolerance analysis
• Optical test and measurement
• ANSYS Zemax

Nice to have

• Silicon photonics
• Photonic integrated circuits
• Microfabrication
• Additive manufacturing
• Python
• MATLAB
• LabVIEW
• Machine vision
• Statistical process control

Qualifications

• Degree or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Equivalent combinations of education and industry experience

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Bonus structure
• Canteen access

About the Company

FormFactor, Inc. is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle. The company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America.