Senior Principal Scientist - Holographic Systems and Grating Fabrication

Location: Rochester, New York, United States. Travel up to 10%. MKS generally hires candidates residing in states where it is registered to do business. Certain positions may require applicants to be U.S. persons because of ITAR or EAR-controlled technologies.

Salary: $155,250–$210,000 per year, plus a discretionary annual bonus.

Company

hirify.global develops technologies and products for photonics, semiconductor manufacturing, scientific research, and other advanced applications.

What you will do

• Lead the design and optimization of holographic diffraction gratings using RCWA, FEA, physical optics, and optical simulation methods.
• Develop and refine interferometric exposure platforms with high stability against vibration, thermal effects, and environmental drift.
• Lead cleanroom fabrication processes including substrate preparation, photoresist coating, holographic exposure, development, etching, and thin-film deposition.
• Characterize grating performance using AFM, SEM, wavefront sensing, diffraction-efficiency testing, and custom optical metrology.
• Develop patentable technologies, publish technical papers, shape technology roadmaps, and translate scientific concepts into engineering and manufacturing solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across multidisciplinary Engineering, Production, and Commercial teams.

Requirements

• PhD in Physics, Optical Sciences, Electrical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of relevant scientific, research, or engineering experience, or an equivalent combination of education and accomplishments.
• Expertise in physical optics, interferometry, holographic recording materials, and diffraction-grating physics.
• Experience with photolithography, wet or dry etching, thin-film deposition, and optical or thin-film characterization.
• Experience or familiarity with MATLAB, Python, Zemax, Code V, or similar optical design and data-analysis tools.
• Applicants may need to be U.S. persons for roles involving ITAR- or EAR-controlled technologies.

Nice to have

• Reactive Ion Beam Etching and replication techniques.
• Hands-on experience with AFM and SEM instrumentation.
• Laser-Induced Damage Threshold testing for high-power laser applications.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaboration across Engineering, Production, Commercial, and scientific teams.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with company match, life insurance, and disability insurance.
• 12 paid holidays, sick time, and 15 paid vacation days.
• Paid parental leave, adoption assistance, and tuition reimbursement.