Senior Optical Engineer

Location: San Jose, CA

Department: Engineering, Product, & Design

Work Authorization Requirement: Due to the nature of our business and compliance with federal regulations, all candidates must be a "U.S. Person". Upon hire, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Role: Senior Optical Engineer

Location: 2550 N First Street Suite 250, San Jose, California 95131

Compensation*: $200,000-$275,000 USD + benefits

Role Description: We are seeking a motivated Senior Optical Engineer to join our Augmented Reality (AR) hardware team and take a key role in the design, simulation, prototyping, and testing of advanced optical systems for near-eye displays and sensing. You will directly influence the image quality, form factor, and performance of production AR systems. You will work closely with industrial designers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and perception teams to bring next-generation augmented reality products from concept to production. 

Responsibilities

• Drive display system integration and execution for AR display modules. Define display module specifications (light engine, waveguide, see-through optics) from product requirements.    
• Support optical design, simulation, and tolerancing to validate and refine system performance. 
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and perception teams to integrate display modules into systems. 
• Build and evaluate optical prototypes; define and execute test methodologies; identify performance gaps and work cross-functionally to implement corrective actions. 
• Lead display bring-up, calibration, and validation across engineering builds and production ramp. 
• Collaborate with software teams on display pipeline optimization, including distortion correction, color calibration, latency, and perceptual image quality. 
• Contribute to the exploration and evaluation of next-generation display technologies.  

Role Requirements 

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.  
• 5–10 years of experience in optical system design and product development. 
• Experience with near-eye display systems (AR/VR/MR) or closely related optics. 
• Experience taking hardware from concept through prototyping to production. 
• Ability to lead complex technical problems with ambiguity. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn in a fast-paced start-up environment.  
• Must be a US Person (citizen or permanent resident). 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.  
• 8+ years of experience in optics, display, and photonics.  
• Waveguide design experience (diffractive, reflective, holographic). 
• Experience with display calibration and image quality tuning. 
• Familiarity with perception-driven display optimization. 

*Total compensation may vary within this range and is determined by years and level of relevant experience, job-related skills, education, and other factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity grants and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO. 

About the Company

About Rivet  

Rivet is an American company building integrated task systems — fusing hardened hardware with software, sensors, AI, and networking — for industrial workforces and defense personnel. We create capabilities that multiply the effectiveness of every individual and withstand the world’s toughest environments. 

We serve the people who build, operate, maintain, and defend our way of life. From technicians and engineers to first responders and service members, they embody the hard work, ingenuity, and meritocratic values that drive Western prosperity. Yet too often they are forced to rely on outdated tools that fail under modern pressures. Rivet exists to reset that priority. 

At Rivet, you’ll join a mission-driven team that fuses disciplines to deliver decisive outcomes where they matter most. Whether shaping our technology, strengthening our partnerships, or building our culture, every role here contributes to equipping the front lines with the modern systems they deserve. 

EOE