Staff Optical Design Engineer (Photonics)

Location: Austin, Texas; full-time onsite position

Salary: $160,000–$200,000 annually, plus equity

Company

hirify.global is an AI hardware startup developing silicon photonics and programmable metasurfaces for energy-efficient, high-performance AI inference.

What you will do

• Own the optical architecture and performance of the OPU’s free-space optical system and components from concept through production.
• Design, optimize, and simulate complex optical systems, including imaging optics and beam-shaping solutions.
• Use Zemax, LightTools, or comparable tools for tolerance, sensitivity, sequential ray-tracing, non-sequential ray-tracing, ghost, and stray-light analysis.
• Collaborate with optomechanical, photonics, electrical, and systems engineering teams, as well as external suppliers on technical specifications and DFM.
• Support laboratory alignment, debugging, metrology, assembly, and characterization of optical systems and components.
• Represent optical design in system reviews, maintain optical sections of system requirements, and communicate status and risks to engineers and executives.

Requirements

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Optical Science, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical field.
• 5+ years of industry experience developing advanced optical systems from concept through market introduction.
• Deep expertise in imaging optical system design, beam shaping, aberration theory, tolerancing, DFx, and ghost/stray-light simulation.
• Proficiency with Zemax, LightTools, or other optical design software.
• Programming experience with Python and Zemax Macro language or similar tools.
• Strong communication skills for explaining complex optical design concepts to technical and executive audiences.

Nice to have

• Experience working in a fast-moving startup environment.
• Experience designing freeform optical systems.
• Advanced knowledge of optical metrology, alignment, and assembly concepts.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative work at the intersection of photonics and AI hardware.
• 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for employees and dependents, plus HSA contributions.
• Unlimited paid time off.
• 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities.
• Dental, vision, life, hospital, critical illness, and accident insurance options.