Engineering - Senior Optical Engineer

Senior Optical Engineer based in Madison, IN (onsite) responsible for the design, validation, and support of automotive exterior lighting systems for heavy-duty OEM customers. Leads optical design activities, collaborates across functions, and ensures regulatory, performance, durability, quality, manufacturing, and cost targets while mentoring less-experienced engineers.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with project team members to capture requirements and develop new or improved lamp concepts that satisfy regulatory, customer performance, durability, and quality targets while aligning with internal manufacturing processes and cost goals.
• Lead optical system design for lamps using LEDs, reflectors, Fresnel or pillow optics, thick/TIR lenses, light pipes, and related components, leveraging LucidShape and other design tools.
• Plan and coordinate testing of lamps and components using goniometers, integrating spheres, spectroradiometers, and related equipment to verify compliance with all specifications.
• Create, improve, and document design, simulation, and test standards related to lamp optical design.
• Research, interpret, and apply applicable regulatory requirements and industry standards including FMVSS 108, UN Regulations R148–R150, and SAE Lighting Systems Group standards.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Quality teams to troubleshoot and resolve issues in manufacturing processes and quality controls.
• Work with Purchasing to source components and validate suppliers, ensuring purchased parts are properly designed/spec’d to industry standards, while minimizing cost and maximizing supply chain flexibility.
• Coordinate with Sales on quotes for new or revised business and assist in customer management, including estimating part and capital costs.
• Mentor other engineers on lamp quoting, design, manufacturing, validation, and related optical topics.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field with a minimum of 3 years of experience.
• Extensive experience with LucidShape and associated optical design modules; familiarity with Zemax, SPEOS, or other optical design software.
• Proven track record designing automotive lighting optical systems using LEDs, molded lenses (including thick lenses), and molded/metallized reflectors; other optical design experience considered.
• Extensive hands-on experience testing and validating optical systems using goniometers, integrating spheres, and spectroradiometers.
• Injection molded plastic part design knowledge, including tooling and plastic part assembly considerations.
• Creo CAD experience preferred, with Catia or NX as additional options.
• Ability to research, review, interpret, and apply regulatory requirements and industry standards, specifically FMVSS 108, UN Regulations R148-R150, and SAE Lighting Systems Group.
• Advanced GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis skills.
• Experience aligning simulations and analyses with optical design, including Vibration/Static/Thermal FEA, Thermal CFD, Mold flow analysis, and Part measurement/dimensional analysis.
• Technologies and tools: LucidShape, Zemax, SPEOS, Creo, Catia, NX.