What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Optical Engineer — VETi Platform position at Kodiak Sciences?
Kodiak Sciences (Nasdaq: KOD) is advancing vision science by integrating retinal biology, optics, artificial intelligence, medical imaging, and next-generation wearable technologies. Our VETi™ — Visual Engagement Technology and Imager — platform is an AI-enabled wearable system combining advanced LiDAR, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), embedded computing, machine learning, and AR/VR technologies. VETi is being developed for applications in retina care, digital health, identity security, cognitive science, and broader AI-enabled vision technologies.
We are looking for a Senior Optical Engineer to build the optical foundation for Kodiak’s VETi platform, from system concept through validated, production-ready instruments. This role is well suited for an engineer with strong optical design fundamentals who enjoys complex imaging and sensing problems and is excited to build optical systems that enable advanced medical imaging and wearable technologies. We are seeking strong optical engineers who are curious about medical imaging and motivated to work on advanced wearable technologies. This role is onsite in Palo Alto.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design, simulation, and validation of optical systems for wearable imaging and sensing — from concept through production.
- Design confocal laser scanning, OCT, and related optical subsystems for retinal imaging and diagnostics.
- Model and optimize optical systems in Zemax — including tolerancing, stray-light analysis, and performance budgets.
- Build and characterize optical benchtop prototypes, integrating sources, detectors, lenses, and MEMS scanners.
- Bring up new optical assemblies and debug image-quality issues across optical, mechanical, electrical, and software domains.
- Work with software and ML teams on image-processing algorithms for raw optical data, contributing optical-domain expertise on signal characteristics, calibration, and artifacts.
- Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, firmware, software, machine learning, and clinical teams.
Education / Required Qualifications
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Physics, Optics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 5 years of professional optical engineering experience developing complex imaging systems.
- Strong optical design and simulation experience with Zemax.
- Hands-on experience designing confocal laser scanning microscopes, OCT systems, or similar imaging instruments, with a proven track record of building optical devices from prototype through validation.
- Ability to collaborate across optical, electrical, mechanical, software, scientific, and engineering teams.
Additional Experience That Would Be Valuable
- Programming and scripting (Python, MATLAB) for instrument control, data analysis, and algorithm prototyping.
- Ability to design and model image-processing algorithms for optical and imaging data.
- Experience with AR/VR optics, head-mounted display systems, or near-eye optics.
- Experience with MEMS scanners, adaptive optics, wavefront sensing, or beam-steering technologies.
- Experience taking optical assemblies from prototype through DFM/DFT to mass production.
- Familiarity with regulated medical-device development (IEC 60601, ISO 13485, FDA) and laser safety standards (IEC 60825), or willingness to learn.
Why Join Kodiak
This role is for engineers who want their optical designs to drive real-world wearable systems — imaging, sensing, and embedded computing — and shape the hardware itself.
You will work at the intersection of software, hardware, medical imaging, optics, AR/VR, LiDAR, OCT, and AI. The platform is novel, the technical challenges are deep, and the work has the potential to shape a new class of wearable vision technologies.