Optical Design Engineer — Ophthalmic Systems
Design
Rotterdam, Netherlands
From Prescription to Product
Location: Rotterdam, NL Commitment: Full time Experience: 5+ years
You speak optics and ophthalmic fluently — and you know how to turn that into something real. At AddOptics, we develop next-generation ophthalmic and vision solutions. We're a small, driven tech team where every person owns their domain end to end.
We're looking for an Ophthalmic Optical Designer who combines strong optical design skills with deep knowledge of the vision industry — someone who can move from an Rx specification to a manufacturable lens design, and who can advise our engineering team with the confidence of someone who's done it before.
This is a product role. The designs you create will ship.
What You’ll Be Working On
Taking an ophthalmic brief — from Rx specification to product requirement — and turning it into a complete, manufacturable optical design
Being the bridge between the ophthalmic world and the engineering team: translating prescription parameters into physical lens properties, and explaining trade-offs in terms engineers can act on
Making optical design decisions across the full product lifecycle — from initial feasibility through to production-ready specs
Advising engineers on customer projects with timely, practical guidance on what's optically achievable and what isn't
Working with suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure designs are producible within tolerance and at cost
Setting up optical metrology and quality control processes from the ground up — defining how performance is measured and accepted at each production stage, making the in/out-of-spec calls, and building the optical knowledge of the engineering team over time
Continuously improving how optical design is documented, specified, and handed off within the team
What We’re Looking For
5+ years of experience in optical design, with a meaningful portion in the ophthalmic industry
Fluency in ophthalmic lens language — sphere, cylinder, axis, prism, add power — and what these mean in physical terms
Hands-on experience designing multi-element optical systems, lens stacks, and ophthalmic products
Proficiency in OpticStudio (Zemax), CODE V, or equivalent optical design software
A practical DFM mindset — you design with the factory in mind from day one
Strong communication skills — you can advise engineers who don't share your background without losing accuracy
A degree in Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field
The Kind of Person Who Thrives Here
You've spent enough time in the ophthalmic world to know how prescription becomes product. You enjoy working across disciplines — talking to engineers, understanding manufacturing constraints, and making design calls that balance optical performance with real-world practicality.
What You’ll Get
A high-ownership, high-impact role in a growing deep tech company
The opportunity to be the go-to optical voice in a growing company
Close collaboration with a sharp, cross-functional team that respects domain expertise
We take the work seriously, and we take the time to celebrate what we achieve together
Competitive salary and benefits
Enthusiastic?
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