Co-Founder, Head of Intelligent Design Platform

We are seeking a co-founder and Head of Intelligent Design Platform to lead development of our waveguide design platform for next-generation AR, VR, and MR systems. You will own the physics, modeling, and design of waveguide components, including couplers, gratings, and combiners, and their integration into imaging pipelines. You will bring together electromagnetic theory, imaging and illumination optics, computational modeling, and software development to deliver thin, bright, color accurate, and manufacturable display subsystems. You will also work with external partners to align design and development activities with their goals and capabilities, refining our offerings to better meet customer needs. As a deep technologist, you will drive core innovation in photonic design and new concept development.

Responsibilities

• Own the waveguide architecture, optical design, and performance optimization needed to meet or exceed customer requirements.
• Build automated pipelines for ray/physical optics simulations, waveguide optimization, and design for manufacturability.
• Analyze customer waveguide performance, report findings, and recommend sustainable improvements.
• Collaborate with manufacturing to specify tolerances and metrology; analyze yield and risks. Incorporate feedback into our software platforms supporting design, optimization, DFM, DTCO, and computational efforts.
• Write technical reports, patent disclosures, and publications; present design reviews; collaborate with existing and new customers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. or M.S. in optics, applied physics, electrical engineering, or a related field, with 5+ years of experience in optical design, waveguides, or displays.
• Strong foundation in electromagnetic theory and imaging & illumination optics.
• Hands‑on experience with ray tracing and physical optics modeling, including tolerance/sensitivity analysis.
• Proficiency in software development (Python and/or C++; familiarity with modern software practices).
• Practical knowledge of grating/waveguide design (RCWA/FDTD), and materials.
• Fundamental understanding of display metrics and image quality, and related characterization methods.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively. Ability to plan ahead and mitigate challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing surface-relief or holographic gratings, pupil expanders, or waveguide combiners for AR/VR displays.
• Experience building and running computational infrastructure/HPC (e.g., Slurm, Kubernetes, GPU acceleration).
• Knowledge of the state-of-the-art technology landscape for AR display systems.
• Familiarity with polarization management and color management techniques.
• Background in optimization and ML-assisted design.
• Experience with manufacturing processes and DFM for high-volume production.
• Strong experimental skills: optical bench setup, metrology, and data analysis.

Competencies

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Strategic thinker (ability to plan ahead for challenges)

Work Environment

• Seattle-based Founders, Remote work considered;
• Normal business hours with weekly morning or evening calls with global partners.
• Ability to travel as needed to support partners. (Expect 25% on average)
• Ability to work in a fast-paced technical environment where everyone is expected to stretch and learn quickly.