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Photonics Engineer I

ThorlabsAnn ArborPosted 2 Nov 2026

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About this role

At Thorlabs, we design and manufacture components, instruments, and systems that transform the world by identifying, enabling, and accelerating key photonics (i.e., light-based) technologies. Backed by a dedicated workforce of more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Thorlabs contributes to cutting-edge research and real-world innovation. Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of experience, you’ll find opportunities to grow, take ownership, and make meaningful contributions from day one.

We know every employee brings unique talents and perspectives that fuel our success, and we seek driven individuals who are excited to make an impact in a fun, fast-moving culture. The Ultrafast Opto-electronics group (UFO), located in Ann Arbor, MI, is a business unit of Thorlabs chartered to develop high-speed photonic components and instrumentation. Photonics Engineers conceptualize, design, test, and release opto-electronic (OE) and photonic products for the UFO group.

• Assist in OE/photonic design projects under guidance from senior engineering staff. • Prototype and test OE/photonic circuits of varying complexity under guidance from senior engineering staff. • Verify OE/photonic product specifications via testing and statistical analysis. • Interact with suppliers to identify, specify & procure external OE/photonic components. • Support the transfer of OE/photonic products from development to production under guidance from senior engineering staff.

• Write assembly & test procedures for new OE/photonic products and processes. • Provide training to manufacturing staff on assembly and test procedures for OE/photonic products. • Support troubleshooting and resolution of OE/photonic system issues with oversight from senior engineering staff. • Assist with resolution of end-of-life OE/photonic component issues under guidance from senior engineering staff. • Support the continuous improvement of manufacturing and functional test processes for OE/photonic products under guidance from senior engineering staff.

• Evaluate non-conformance issues in OE/photonic products under the guidance of senior engineering staff to determine root causes. • Interact with other Thorlabs business units for product development. • Provide technical support to Sales and Marketing teams. Requirements Experience: * Entry Level to 4 years of experience in OE/photonic product design, development, and implementation. Education: * BS (or higher) in Photonics, Optics, Physics, EE, or related field.

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Specialized Knowledge and Skills: • Must have basic understanding of (or limited experience with) OE/photonic device development. • Must have basic understanding of (or limited experience with) ultra-fast time & high frequency domain testing (e.g. 100GHz) using VNAs, Spectrum Analyzers, TDRs, Sampling Oscilloscope, etc. • Must have basic understanding of (or limited experience with) optical/photonics design software (e.g.

Lumerical/RSoft, Zemax, QUADOA). • Must have basic understanding of (or limited experience with) data handling and analysis tools (e.g. R, MATLAB, Python). • Must have the ability to design and create custom test and data collection systems (e.g. Python, MATLAB, LabView). • Must have strong problem solving and design of experiment (DOE) skills. • Must be able to work in an OE laboratory environment with lasers, optical fibers, high-precision motorized stages, microscopes, and various pieces of micro-assembly equipment.

• Basic understanding of the design fundamentals of unamplified and amplified photodetector devices is a plus. • Basic understanding of high-speed optical switching, modulation, and their enabling technologies (e.g. - electro-optic, electro-absorption, acousto optic, gain-switching, Q-switching) is a plus. • Proficiency with optical measurement techniques (e.g. Optical Spectrometers, Beam Profilers, and Optical Power Meters) is preferred.

• Must be proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.). • Must be detail oriented, highly organized, and able to document work. • Must have excellent written and oral communication skills. • Must be comfortable in a fast-paced, start-up type environment requiring a self-motivated individual. This is an in-office position located in Ann Arbor, MI. Occasional travel (less than 20%) may be required The estimated pay range for this role is USD 84,000 - $ 100,000 annually Thorlabs values its diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identify or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

Benefits Thorlabs offers a complete benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, a generous PTO package, a 401(k) plan, and tuition reimbursement just to name a few.

Source listing: workable_thorlabs

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