Optics Engineer
Optical engineering, also referred to as optical engineering or photonics engineering, is a specialised area of engineering which focuses on the application of optics for the design and manufacture of optics products for a huge range of purposes. The technical skills of an Optics Engineers are utilised to design optical instruments such as lenses, microscopes and telescopes; photographic equipment including cameras, videos and various types of projectors; medical devices such as endoscopes; home/office equipment including laser printers and photocopiers; optical readers for CDs and CD-Roms; supermarket checkout scanners, fibre optic communication systems and a host of other applications.
Optical engineers will work with other engineering and technical staff at the beginning of a project in order to understand the specifications of the product to be designed. Optical engineers will then continue to work a part of a team which might include engineers from other disciplines, technical and laboratory workers in order to design, analyse, test and refine the product being created. In some instances optical engineers may be involved with the development of the manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication processes too.
Some phototonics or optics engineers may work within a specific environment such as a healthcare company which creates optical diagnostics and laser surgery, others may work in a more general optics, optical or photonics engineering organisation which produces a wider variety of products.
In addition to their in depth knowledge of optics, optical engineers also need to have an appreciation of technology, materials, costs and design methods in order to design and build optics devices. Optical engineers also need to be IT literate as they will utilise specific optical or photonics engineering software for design, simulation and testing purposes.
Due to the ever increasing use of optics within engineering, technology, communications, medical devices and other arenas, skilled and experienced optics engineers are in high demand and the potential for career development within optics engineering is great.
Skills and experience required to become an optical engineer
BSc Degree in physics, optics, optoelectronics or a relevant engineering discipline.
Postgraduate Degree in a relevant subject is sometimes rquired
Knowledge of optical system design and analysis using specific optics engineering software
Understanding of optical principles
Understanding of optical test methods and specifications
Ability to work as part of a team
Basel is a city on the Rhine River in northwest Switzerland close to the borders with France and Germany. The official language of Basel is German although, with 35% of the inhabitants being foreign nationals, English is also widely spoken. The University of Basel, founded in 1460, is Switzerland's oldest university and it houses some of Erasmus’s works. Erasmus’s tomb is to be found in the city’s 12th century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. There are almost 40 museums in Basel as well as many beautiful medieval buildings around the Marktplatz.
Basel is home to large pharmaceutical and chemical industries with companies such as Novartis, Syngenta, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Hoffmann-La Roche, and Actelion being headquartered in the city. Like other Swiss cities, Basel is also a centre for banking and both the Bank for International Settlements and UBS are located in the city. The Basel Area is one of the most sought-after life sciences locations in the world, and is clearly Europe’s top life sciences hub. Roche and Novartis, two out of three global pharma market leaders have their global headquarters here.
Basel can also rightly claim the longest history in life sciences. From the beginnings with its industrial silk ribbon dye mills in the mid-century 1800s up to the biotech revolution, the region’s life sciences ecosystem has repeatedly evolved and reinvented itself in the course of the industry’s larger developments. This success story is still going strong and will continue.
The Basel Area is home to over 700 life sciences companies that are making a substantial contribution to a dynamic business environment. The life sciences industry is the growth engine of the Basel Area – homegrown and here to stay. The Basel Area is also a hotspot for promising startups, such as docdok.health AG, Versameb AG, Polyneuron Pharmaceuticals AG, T3 Pharmaceuticals AG and Cellestia Biotech AG.
The Basel Area is also a world champion in gross value. The $66 billion USD exports of pharma products per year are impressive.
Famous people from Basel include: Roger Federer, champion tennis player and Ursula Andress, actress.
Switzerland is a great place to further your career in life sciences. If you are a looking for pharmaceutical jobs in Basel, scientific careers in Basel or want to discuss cell therapy, gene therapy, ATMP, medical device, technology, biotech or pharmaceutical job opportunities in Basel, give our Next Phase team a call. The Swiss area is continuing to expand as a centre for jobs in science, process development, technology, software development, project management, informatics, quality, reg affairs and supply chain.
At Next Phase we help people find new jobs in life sciences across the UK, Europe and USA. This page lists some of the job opportunities in Switzerland, and if you give us a call we can also talk to you about other scientific jobs, pharmaceutical career opportunities and the latest updates in cell and gene therapy and ATMP development in the Basel area.
