Hiring: Principal Optics Engineer Company: Thales Defense & Security, Inc. Location: Billerica, MA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-11 12:23:12 Employment Type: Hybrid Target Skills & Keywords : Program Management, R About the job Experience: •8+ years’ experience in hands on engineering role; with at least 6 dedicated to Optics Required Skills: •Understand the Augmented Reality HMD marketspace, its requirements and customer needs •Develop / maintain a vast network of contacts at vendors, customers, and industry working groups •Attend and participate as subject matter expert in relevant conferences and symposia •Understand the physics and math of optics and displays •Develop product/development requirements – what is possible, what is manufacturable, how to bend physics to our will, and how much of that can we do now? •Propose R&D efforts, how to productize the resulting technologies, and the intervening set of tasks •Provide technical support and expertise on proposals, bid efforts and customer interactions •Interact with and impress customers, and vendor counterparts at very technical level Qualifications: •The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. •U.S. Citizenship required. - Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. •Bachelor’s in engineering or equivalent technology field, master’s or PhD preferred •Excellent organizational skills and work ethic •Knowledge of software development lifecycle •Effective oral and written communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects •The annualized pay range for this role is •USD along with a target incentive compensation plan (ICP) of 5% •. The pay range provided is a good faith estimate representative of the experience level for the role described above. TDSI considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills. •For specific questions about this job posting, candidates may contact talent acquisition at careers@thalesdsi.com. Compensation: •Medical insurance for self and eligible family members Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!