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Confidential · 20 hours ago

Lead Optical Engineer - Lighting

Troy, MI

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

3+ years exp

Confidential company is seeking a Lead Optical Engineer to join their team focused on advanced automotive lighting technology. The role involves designing next-generation headlamps and signal lighting systems while collaborating with global teams to innovate and optimize optical systems.

Marketing & Advertising

Responsibilities

Develop and implement custom optical designs for automotive headlamps and signal lamps that balance style, performance, manufacturability, modularity, and cost efficiency

Contribute to the development of new intellectual property by creating novel and innovative optical concepts

Lead early optical feasibility studies and packaging assessments for customer vehicle programs

Support customer quotations, technical documentation, and program deliverables across project milestones

Coordinate and collaborate with global optical engineering teams to deliver project tasks and share expertise

Engage with the global optics community to continuously elevate design standards, analysis methods, and simulation processes

Perform design optimization using industry-leading lighting CAE tools, simulation software, and empirical data

Ensure exceptional lit and unlit appearance, robust photometric performance, and regulatory compliance

Support component testing, photometric evaluations, and risk analysis for current and new-model lamps

Partner with programs to meet ok-to-tool timelines, DV testing milestones, certification, and homologation requirements

Participate in prototype builds with a focus on lit appearance, fit & finish, and beam pattern refinement

Engage in benchmarking and night-drive evaluations to ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction

Help maintain and organize the optical laboratory, supplies, and equipment

Assist in calibration and correlation studies and develop new testing, troubleshooting, and analysis methods to boost efficiency

Qualification

Automotive lighting designOptical simulation toolsGeometrical OpticsCAD softwareLighting manufacturing processesCommunicationTeamworkOrganizational skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering discipline

3–5+ years of experience designing automotive lighting optical systems and components

Strong understanding of FMVSS‑108, ECE, and SAE photometric and regulatory requirements

Solid foundation in Geometrical Optics and automotive light sources (halogen, HID, LED)

Knowledge of lighting manufacturing processes: toolmaking, injection molding, metallization, lamp assembly, photometric testing, and headlamp aiming

Experience with CAD software

Experience with optical simulation tools such as LightTools, LucidShape, or equivalent

Hands‑on familiarity with lab equipment, creating optical mockups, and validating photometric performance

Strong communication, teamwork, organizational skills, and the ability to convey complex ideas effectively

Preferred

Optics

Physics

Mechanical Engineering

Computer Science

Catia V5

LightTools

LucidShape

Company

Confidential

Silicon Valley, California US, US

51-200 employees

Funding

Current Stage

Growth Stage

Leadership Team

Roshan Syed

Global Talent Partner

Company data provided by crunchbase