Optical Engineer

Contractor-Optical Engineer, IOL Lens Design REMOTE Contract-Potential for Extension or Permanent Position overview This is a technical engineering role within the IOL Lens Design & Metrology team, combining computational optical design with hands-on characterization work. The role spans two equally weighted focus areas: reverse engineering and optical characterization of competitor IOLs, and simulation of new IOL concepts using Zemax OpticStudio Optical simulation is central to the position — the successful candidate must be fluent in Zemax and able to build, run, and interpret optical models independently. Bench work complements the simulation effort, providing the measured data that validates models and feeds the competitive intelligence program The position is structured as a contractor engagement with potential to transition to a permanent role. Location is flexible and will be determined based on candidate profile and program needs. Optical simulation & new IOL concept development • Build and maintain Zemax OpticStudio models for IOL optical performance analysis, including through-focus MTF, wavefront aberration, depth of focus, spherical aberration targeting, and chromatic aberration. • Simulate performance of new IOL concepts — monofocal, toric, EDOF, and multifocal platforms — across a range of standard and custom eye models. • Perform optical tolerancing and sensitivity analyses to support design feasibility assessments and design verification. • Contribute to simulation-to-bench correlation studies: compare Zemax predictions against physical bench measurements and investigate discrepancies. • Support the generation of simulation data packages for regulatory submissions, including optical performance justifications and equivalence arguments. Reverse engineering & competitive intelligence • Perform systematic optical characterization of competitor IOLs using PMTF bench, interferometry, and profilometry to extract performance data and infer design intent. • Back-calculate competitor lens designs from measured surface and performance data using Zemax, reconstructing aberration profiles and optical design parameters. • Compile structured competitive intelligence reports summarizing optical design differentiation, performance benchmarks, and IP landscape observations. • Maintain and expand the competitive lens characterization database with standardized, reproducible datasets. IOL optical characterization — own products • Support bench characterization of B+L IOLs at key development and verification milestones. • Prepare samples and execute MTF, wavefront, and through-focus measurements per established SOPs. • Process and interpret characterization data; prepare publication-quality figures and summary reports. Publications & IP • Contribute to peer-reviewed publications on IOL optical design, simulation methods, and competitive characterization — as co-author under the team lead and senior engineers. • Identify and disclose patentable innovations arising from simulation and design work; collaborate with IP counsel on invention disclosures. Required qualifications • M.S. or B.S. in Optical Engineering, Physics, or Biomedical Engineering with a strong optics focus; Ph.D. welcome. • Hands-on proficiency with Zemax OpticStudio — able to build, run, and troubleshoot multi-element optical system models independently. • Experience modeling ophthalmic optical systems — IOLs, eye models, or equivalent ophthalmic optics. • Familiarity with ISO 11979-2 and its application to IOL optical performance characterization. • Experience with optical bench instruments (MTF stations, interferometers, wavefront sensors, or profilometers). Preferred qualifications • Experience with reverse engineering of optical components — surface extraction, aberration back-calculation, or design reconstruction from measured data. • Prior work in a medical device or ophthalmic industry R&D environment. • Publication record or conference presentations in optical design or ophthalmic optics. • Proficiency in MATLAB or Python for simulation automation, data analysis, and visualization. • Familiarity with toric, EDOF, or multifocal IOL design principles. Competencies • Simulation fluency: builds reliable, well-documented Zemax models; understands the physics behind the outputs and questions results that don't make sense. • Analytical rigor: connects simulation predictions to bench measurements; identifies root causes of discrepancies rather than accepting them. • Intellectual curiosity: motivated by competitive intelligence work — wants to understand why a competitor lens performs the way it does. • Communication: presents optical design concepts and competitive findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. • Autonomy: manages workload across two parallel programs (simulation and reverse engineering) without close day-to-day supervision.