Director of Optics

About the role

Red 6 is seeking a technically deep, execution‑oriented Director of Optics to lead the Optics Department and scale the optical engineering function across current and next‑generation augmented reality systems.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and grow the Optics Department across multiple sites, defining the optics technology roadmap and organizational structure.
• Provide technical oversight and design review for ultra‑wide field‑of‑view AR headset optics, waveguides, freeform combiners and related architectures.
• Own the optical program lifecycle from requirements definition through prototype validation, production transition and field support.
• Partner with product, R&D, manufacturing, software, mechanical, electrical, supply chain and program management to integrate optical requirements at the system level.
• Establish technical standards for tolerancing, image quality, stray light, radiometry, calibration repeatability and headset‑level metrology.

Required profile

• M.S., Ph.D., or equivalent industry experience in Optical Engineering, Physics or a closely related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience developing complex optical systems, especially near‑eye displays, AR/VR, HMDs or aerospace/defense optics.
• Proven leadership experience building and scaling high‑performance engineering teams.
• Ability to challenge design assumptions, guide trade studies and represent optics at the executive level.

Required skills

• Optical design and simulation tools: Code V, Zemax OpticStudio, FRED, LightTools, JMP.
• Programming and analysis: Python, MATLAB.
• Experience with optical metrology, interferometry, MTF measurement and calibration processes.
• Strong knowledge of optical tolerancing, stray‑light analysis, radiometry and photometry.