Job Title: Principal Optical Engineer

Department: R&D - Optical

Reports To: Vice President of Advanced Optics

FLSA Status: Exempt, Salary

Salary Range: $100,000 - $140,000

Featured Benefits: Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance, HSA / FSA, 401k Retirement Savings, Incentive Company Stocks, PTO, and Tuition Assistance.

About Us

Founded in 1997, Vuzix (NASDAQ: VUZI) is a growing, dynamic company that specializes in the design, manufacture and sale of smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) technologies and products for the enterprise and consumer markets. Company products include wearable displays and computing devices that offer a portable, high-quality viewing experience for applications in augmented reality, digital information, utility, and entertainment.

Position Summary:

The Principal Optical Engineer will support R&D, new product development and production while directly reporting to the R&D/Optics group. It will be their responsibility to work within multidisciplinary teams to design, build and test optical mounting structures, alignment mechanisms and housings. They will be solely responsible for all reliability modelling and testing with respect to optical components and assemblies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee test lab and provide optical engineering expertise.
• Establish test procedures, processes, and documentation.
• Review and organize test data.
• Subject expert for geometric optics, LED illuminators, backlights, conventional micro-displays, collimators and concentrators, holographic systems, optical interference coatings, injection molding, lens design, and high precision optics design, fabrication and assembly.
• Research and understand human factors and implement intelligent design choices for head mounted display systems.
• Generate complete system documentation and provide input to technical proposals to effectively communicate designs and/or approaches to internal and external customers.
• Validate system performance to prove the technical design through analysis, simulation, and laboratory testing.
• Ensure proper procedures and methods are used by other members of the design team by providing a value-added quality review.
• Independently develop and implement corrective action to product and procedural problems.
• Communicate with the customer suppliers, and internal management as the technical expert on projects to effectively interface with all facets of decision-making personnel and customer management.
• Provide budget, schedule, and technical compliance updates to management to effectively record progress of technical aspects of the program assigned.

Competencies:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Written Communication – Read and interpret written information effectively, write clearly and concisely, adapt writing style for different audiences.
• Verbal Communication – Give focused attention to what others are saying, take time to understand what is being said and respond when appropriate without interrupting, speak clearly and effectively express ideas and opinions, adapt and react professionally in both positive or negative situations.
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Balance team and individual responsibilities, consider others’ views objectively and with openness to changing your own, give and encourage feedback, contribute to a positive team dynamic, prioritize team success over personal interests, work effectively across departments toward company goals.
• Professionalism – Interact with others in a considerate manner, follow through on commitments, react well under pressure and preserve confidentiality, control emotions, and accept responsibility, maintain focus on solutions and treat others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position.
• Motivation & Initiative – Demonstrate persistence and ability to adapt to changes in daily workflow and overcome obstacles, ask for and offer help when needed, work independently when required, volunteer readily and look for ways to improve and create successful outcomes, positively contribute to overall work environment.
• Respect & Integrity – Treat people with respect, work ethically and with honesty and integrity, inspire the trust of others, demonstrate appreciation and sensitivity for cultural differences, help promote inclusion and understanding of the value of diversity, embrace differences and support a harassment-free environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics or equivalent.
• Minimum of 8 years of detailed experience working in a product design environment.
• Strong organizational, time management, and leadership skills; and the ability to successfully manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment.
• Familiarity with sequential and non-sequential programs like Zemax, Code V, etc.
• Familiarity with MS Project.
• Familiarity with optical measurement techniques.
• Must be able to demonstrate out-of-box thinking for unique problems and develop concepts into products.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to solve problems, multi-task and be a hands-on leader.
• Ability and willingness to travel, including internationally, if required.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position may involve some management oversight of lab technicians and operators.

Travel: Travel including international travel up to 25% is possible.

Physical Demands:

Frequently required to sit, speak, hear, see, and perform repetitive motion (data entry). Occasionally required to lift or carry (10 lb. minimum). Reasonable accommodation will be made if possible.

Vuzix Corporation is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to recruiting and employing the best talent available.