Senior Optical Design Engineer (f/m/d) in München

• Quantum sensors that see inside the most advanced chips on Earth, right where two frontier fields collide.
• Nobel-Prize physics aimed at real customers with real problems, in production now, not someday.
• Physicists, data scientists, and engineers building side by side, turning deep science into tools the industry actually runs on.
• An international team that runs at hard problems for fun, where knowledge moves fast and so do you.

Still unsure about why joining us?

• You'll get to build a company together with a brilliant and welcoming team on a product that has never been done before.
• From Day 1, you'll own your own topics end to end and see the direct impact of your work on how the world sees QuantumDiamonds.
• Our technology is the cutting edge of tomorrow, starting today and not in 10 years.
• You’ll be part of a high-growth company backed by top-tier investors.

Let’s make the invisible visible!

• Build the illumination and imaging optics at the heart of our NV-diamond sensors: excitation in, fluorescence out.
• Design custom imaging optics from scratch where no catalog solution exists, for example high-NA, wide-field, long-working-distance objectives, balancing competing constraints on resolution, field, and mechanical envelope.
• Own subsystems end to end: concept, design, tolerancing, prototype, production.
• Model and optimize in ZEMAX, sequential and non-sequential: imaging performance, illumination uniformity, stray light, and artifact mitigation.
• Choose and budget the illumination source from radiometry and etendue, and design the beam homogenization and shaping.
• Define the optical architecture: objectives, relays, telescopic (afocal) systems, pupils, telecentricity, and the excitation/emission filter and dichroic scheme.
• Write error budgets and tolerance studies that stay manufacturable and testable.
• Validate your models on the bench: build, align, and characterize prototypes, own the optical testing, and reconcile measurement with simulation.
• Source and qualify optical components such as lenses, filters, objectives, and sources.
• Script your own analysis in Python and hand off clean prescriptions, specs, and reports to production.

• Strong optical-design ability. We hire for demonstrated skill rather than a specific degree; a background in optics, photonics, or physics is typical.
• 5+ years designing real optical systems, not just coursework.
• Fluency in ZEMAX, sequential and non-sequential.
• Solid fundamentals: radiometry, etendue and brightness, aberrations, MTF, tolerancing.
• You model in Python (or similar) and trust the bench over any single tool.
• Hands-on lab skills: alignment, metrology (interferometer, collimator, test bench), characterization.
• Clear, concise technical writing. Working language is English.

• High-power illumination sources and laser safety.
• Quantum sensing, NV centers, or ODMR.
• Semiconductor inspection, metrology, or failure analysis.

• Mission: At QD, we’re driven by more than just building great products - we aim to make a lasting difference. Joining us means contributing to meaningful work that goes beyond business as usual.
• Impact & growth: This is an exciting stage of our journey, and your voice matters. You’ll have the chance to shape our culture, influence key decisions, and grow alongside a company that’s scaling fast.
• Well-being & balance: We value rest and recovery. That’s why you’ll enjoy 30 vacation days plus public holidays to recharge and return inspired.
• Health & fitness: With a company-sponsored Wellpass membership, you’ll have access to countless gyms, classes, and wellness offers across Germany to stay healthy and active.
• Learning & development: Your growth is our priority. We provide an annual budget dedicated to courses, conferences, or any resources that help you expand your skills.
• Ownership & participation: As part of our equity program, you’ll directly share in our success and the value we create together.
• Team & culture: We believe the best ideas come when we connect outside the office. From regular off-sites to team events, you’ll be part of a collaborative and supportive environment.