Staff Software Engineer, Waveguide Design

A new paradigm of computing

Magic Leap is a pioneer in Augmented Reality (AR) optics, display systems, platforms, devices services, prototyping and manufacturing capabilities. We are known for our unmatched optics stack and have developed ultra-lightweight waveguides and display systems that advance what is possible in AR. With more than a decade of experience in AR innovation, we have made groundbreaking advancements in text legibility, color fidelity and rich digital content visuals while continually expanding the field of view to create engaging, immersive AR experiences. 

Magic Leap could be your place if you want to be part of a united team where everyone is empowered and trusted to make an impact. At Magic Leap, you can explore innovative solutions and use your talents to solve real-world problems. Working alongside industry experts, you can grow your skills while helping make our technology available to millions of people as a partner in the mixed reality (XR) ecosystem.  We know that successful change and progress accelerates diverse perspectives. As we shape our future, everyone's voice matters. Together, we can reimagine the world of work and, with our bold partners, make the impossible possible.

The opportunity 

The Staff Software Engineer will develop and enhance in-house optical simulation software for waveguide design in Mixed Reality devices, driving innovation in optical component technology while collaborating cross-functionally with mechanical engineering, optical systems, and metrology teams to achieve aggressive technical deliverables for next-generation Mixed Reality experiences.

We prefer this role to be in proximity of our Austin, TX office but we are also open to remote for the right candidate. 

What you’ll do 

• Be a key member of the Waveguide Design Team, focusing on developing and maintaining software tools for waveguide design, simulation, and analysis.
• Design, implement, and optimize software solutions to support optical engineers in modeling, analyzing, and characterizing waveguide-based optical systems.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance custom in-house software for optical simulations, data analysis, and visualization.
• Work with commercial simulation tools and integrate them with in-house software for seamless workflows.
• Process, analyze, and visualize large datasets generated from optical simulations and experimental measurements.
• Collaborate closely with optical engineers, mechanical engineers, metrology teams, fabrication teams, and materials researchers to ensure software solutions align with real-world needs.
• Communicate technical findings, propose new methodologies, and contribute to the continuous improvement of software tools and workflows.

The experience you bring

• Master's degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field with focus on optics/photonics, or equivalent professional experience in optical simulation software development.
• 5+ years of experience in software development, with a strong focus on scientific computing, numerical methods, and algorithm development.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python, including experience with numerical computing libraries (NumPy, SciPy, pandas, etc.).
• Strong background in computational modeling, numerical optimization, and high-performance computing.
• Experience developing software tools for optical, physics-based, or engineering applications.
• Strong proficiency with scientific programming and working with large datasets.
• Experience integrating commercial optical design and simulation software (such as RCWA, FDTD, BPM, Lumerical, Zemax, COMSOL, etc.) into custom workflows.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on developing efficient and scalable software solutions.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.

It’s exciting if you also have

• Experience with parallel computing, GPU acceleration, or cloud computing.
• Experience with C++ for performance-critical applications, including numerical libraries such as BLAS/LAPACK.
• Background in optics, computational electromagnetics, or related fields.
• Experience developing interactive data visualization tools (e.g., using Matplotlib, Plotly).
• Experience in machine learning for scientific applications.
• Experience working in an R&D environment where software directly supports experimental or manufacturing workflows.
• Familiarity with AR/MR display systems and optical hardware.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to Equal Employment Opportunities guidelines.

All legitimate Magic Leap email communications will end with "@magicleap.com". Please carefully review all emails you receive, to ensure you only engage with legitimate representatives of Magic Leap. For the protection of your Personal Information, do not click any links, open any attachments, or further engage with any suspicious communications. In the event you receive an unexpected or suspicious communication claiming to come from Magic Leap, please reach out directly to [email protected] for assistance.

Please note that we do not accept any application documents via (e-)mail. Furthermore, we do not accept applications from recruitment agencies for this role.

Accommodations

If you need an accommodation during the application, interviewing, or hiring process, you may request an accommodation by emailing [email protected]. Magic Leap will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.

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