Optical & Manufacturing Engineer - IA Glasses Lens Technical Lead

As an Optical & Manufacturing Engineer at Reality Labs, you will own the development and productization of precision optical components, including ophthalmic-grade optics, that are core to next-generation AI and AR glasses. You will serve as the single point of accountability for optical components, from concept through prototype and validation to high-volume production ramp, working alongside a team tackling radically new concepts driven by the constraints of advanced AI and AR glasses. You will establish new process and tooling capabilities with supply-chain partners and release product sub-systems that are fully hardened for high-volume manufacturing. We are looking for engineers who work well across disciplines, who move fluidly between big-picture ideas and the critical details that make a technology succeed, and who bring a data-driven track record of taking products from concept to mass production.

Responsibilities

Own precision optical components from concept through prototype, validation, and high-volume production ramp, as the single point of accountability for the outcome
Lead external vendor and supply-chain collaborations spanning material selection, tooling, process optimization, metrology, and quality control
Develop and qualify ophthalmic manufacturing processes and the metrology used to verify optical components, including optical power, surface form, wavefront, and cosmetics
Define and qualify manufacturing processes and tooling, including precision molds, fixtures, and optical surface generation, to establish new process capability with partners
Drive mold design and mold flow analysis to optimize tool geometry, gating, and process windows for optical-grade parts
Develop and qualify high-precision lens cutting processes, including CNC machining, edging, and laser systems at scale
Troubleshoot optical and mechanical defects and run design of experiments (DOE) for root cause analysis and process improvement
Develop and integrate novel materials and fabrication processes such as lamination, optical surface generation, coating, casting, and injection molding to enable next-generation optics and displays
Partner with cross-functional teams to set program priorities and deliver product sub-systems hardened for high-volume manufacturing

Qualifications

Bachelors or Master's degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Optical Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
6+ years of experience in manufacturing and process development of precision optical components
Experience with ophthalmic manufacturing of optical components
Experience with metrology of optical components, including optical power, surface form, wavefront, and cosmetic inspection, and with material and mechanical characterization
Experience with mold design and mold flow analysis
Experience with mold flow and fluid dynamics simulation software (e.g., Autodesk Moldflow, Moldex3D, or equivalent CFD tools)
Experience with CNC machining and edging tools for high-precision lens cutting
Experience with laser cutting and engraving of optical components
Experience with optical material process development and optical component fabrication
Experience with precision tooling and manufacturing methods such as optical-grade injection molding, casting and high volume manufacturing
Experience with DOE design and data analysis for problem solving and root cause analysis
Experience communicating technical results in English, written and verbal, as the role requires collaboration with English-speaking cross-functional teams and external vendors globally Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Optical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience in the optical plastic lens industry
Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
Experience with sequential ray tracing, optical simulation, and tolerancing using Zemax or CODE V
Experience with novel manufacturing techniques, processes, and materials
Experience with pressure-sensitive and other optical adhesives
Experience with optical compliance and product regulations such as FDA, ANSI, or ISO
Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
8+ years of experience with optical materials and process engineering
Experience owning tooling development and qualification for molds and fixtures, from design through production
Experience with film lamination, coating, casting, molding, and multilayer or multi-material stacks
Experience with ophthalmic coating design, process development, and manufacturing
8+ years of experience in optical plastic lens component manufacturing