WAC Lighting · 7 hours ago
Optical Engineer & Color Scientist - LED Architectural Lighting
NYC Metro Area
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level
$130K/yr - $150K/yr
5+ years expWAC Group is a leading organization in the lighting industry, known for its commitment to sustainable products and innovation. They are seeking a Senior Optical Engineer & Color Scientist to lead the design and development of optical systems for advanced LED lighting products while ensuring compliance with industry standards and sustainability practices.
CommercialElectronicsLightingManufacturing
Responsibilities
Lead the design and development of complete optical systems for COB, discrete LED, and multi-source architectures
Create optical solutions for downlights, projectors, wall washers, track heads, and linear systems using reflectors, TIR lenses, hybrid optics, mixing chambers, and light guides
Perform optical simulations and ray-tracing (e.g., LightTools, TracePro, Zemax, SPEOS) to optimize beam quality, output, UGR, and efficiency
Develop beam distributions including spot, narrow, medium, wide, oval, asymmetric, wall-wash, and custom profiles
Evaluate and specify secondary optics from global suppliers; interpret intensity distribution, candela plots, IES files, and lens datasheets
Conduct in-depth analysis of LED specification and color science including spectral power distribution (SPD), wavelength curves, CCT, CRI/TM-30, Duv, gamut, R9/Rf/Rg, and full binning structures
Evaluate and compare LED packages from major suppliers (e.g., Cree, Nichia, Citizen, Lumileds, Samsung, Seoul, Luminus, Bridgelux)
Interpret LED manufacturer data including LM-80, IS, TM-21/TM-28, TM-30, thermal derating, voltage/current curves, and optical efficiency
Develop color mixing strategies for tunable white and RGB/RGBW systems including chromaticity stability, thermal droop compensation, and spectral optimization
Optimize color mixing strategies with optical designs for various products
Support calibration, tolerance analysis, and performance modeling for optical and chromatic uniformity
Ensure optical and color performance meets or exceeds industry standards including: LM-80, LM-79, TM-21, TM-30, TM-20, Zhaga, ANSI, IES, UL/ETL, cUL, CCC, TISI, etc
Apply eco-design principles related to efficacy, energy use, material choices, and emerging sustainability requirements
Lead photometric validation, lab testing, and prototype evaluation to verify distribution, color consistency, and system efficacy
Working with the test team in our China factory, interpret data from goniophotometers, integrating spheres, and spectrometers
Support thermal-optical trade-off analysis and long-term lumen maintenance modeling
Working closely with multiple development teams, Global R&D (primary function), Functional R&D, Modern Forms R&D, Schonbek R&D, to support incoming projects, support and recommendations, evaluations and feedback etc
Work closely with product managers to convert market/architectural needs into optical requirements
Partner with mechanical engineers to integrate optics into housings, heatsinks, trims, and glare-control systems
Provide technical guidance to NPI, quality, and manufacturing teams for LED selection, optics sourcing, and supplier qualification
Create clear, concise documentation including optical specifications, tolerances, and test reports
Support a multi-year global product roadmap aligned with commercial growth objectives
Support high-quality product specifications, business cases, and PRDs (Product Requirement Documents)
Support comprehensive competitive analysis, positioning frameworks, and training deliverables
Regular performance analysis and competitive comparisons of WAC Products optics & fixture performance vs the market
Develop new products that meet leading sustainability and material transparency standards, including RED List compliance, DECLARE certification, and WELL Building Standards
Support and maintain a robust system to track material composition, supplier data, and documentation required for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
Integrate eco-design principles into the product development process to reduce environmental impact, improve material efficiency, and support circularity
Support product documentation, transparency data, and sustainability attributes are readily available to meet growing specifier and regulatory requirements
Drive adoption of sustainability-focused product features that increase market competitiveness and support environmentally driven project specifications
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Design, Architecture, Business, or related field required
5–10+ years of optical engineering experience in the LED lighting industry
Strong proficiency in optical simulation tools (Zemax, LightTools, TracePro, OpticStudio, etc.)
Demonstrated experience designing optics for COB LED systems
Demonstrated experience designing optics for Discrete LED arrays / boards
Demonstrated experience designing optics for Downlights, projectors, linear, wall wash, accent lighting
Deep knowledge of LED color science, SPD analysis, binning, and photometric evaluation
Strong understanding of optical materials, TIR lenses, reflectors, micro-optics, diffusers, and color-mixing chambers
Able to read and interpret spectral graphs, candela plots, IES files, LED datasheets, and thermal-electrical curves
Familiarity with major LED suppliers and their product ecosystems
Comprehensive knowledge of LM-80, LM-79, TM-21, TM-30, TM-20, ANSI C78.377, WELL, IDA/“Dark Sky,” and related industry protocols
Experience with performance modeling of efficacy, CCT/CRI stability, and thermal behavior
Experience in tunable white, human-centric lighting, UV/IR LEDs, or narrow-band LED design
Familiarity with goniophotometer software, integrating sphere systems, and hands-on optical prototyping
Knowledge of environmental product declarations (EPDs), eco-design standards, and green-building frameworks
Strong analytical, experimental, and problem-solving abilities
Excellent communication and documentation skills; able to translate complex optical science for cross-functional teams
Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and support rapid development cycles
Comfortable working with global teams and vendors
If not located at NY Headquarters, business travel at least 6x per year to HQ for team meetings
International travel 30–40%, primarily to our factories in China and Thailand
Additional travel to global trade shows (Lightapalooza, LEDucation, Light & Building), industry conferences (IALD), customer sites, and Company Launch Events
Ability and willingness for early morning/evening meetings to support international time zones
Preferred
Master's or PHD degree (Optical Engineering, Physics, Color Science, Photonics, or related field) is a plus
Benefits
Paid time off
Medical & dental coverage (including family coverage)
Vision
Life
401(k)
Tuition assistance
Continuous training and development
Company
WAC Lighting
A global manufacturing leader of solid state lighting that designs, engineers and produces a broad range of lighting products.
501-1000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
WAC Lighting has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (2)
2024 (4)
2023 (2)
2022 (2)
2021 (3)
2020 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$0.2M2009-10-02Grant· $0.2M
Leadership Team
Michelle Sacco
HR Business Partner
Recent News
Research and Markets
2025-06-09
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