Sr Principal Investigator/Optical Integration - Smart Eyewear Optical Integration

We are EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses. The Company brings together the complementary expertise of two industry pioneers, one in advanced lens technologies and the other in the craftsmanship of iconic eyewear, to create a vertically integrated business that is uniquely positioned to address the world’s evolving vision needs and the global demand of a growing eyewear industry.

With over 180,000 dedicated employees in 150 countries driving our iconic brands, our people are creative, entrepreneurial and celebrated for their unique perspectives and individuality. Committed to vision, we enable people to “see more and be more” thanks to our innovative designs and lens technologies, exceptional quality and cutting-edge processing methods. Every day we impact the lives of millions by changing the way people see the world. Find out more about EssilorLuxottica https://www.essilorluxottica.com/

The Smart Eyewear LAB, a pioneering project in heart of Milan:

The EssilorLuxottica Smart Eyewear LAB is the first joint research centre ever between EssilorLuxottica and Politecnico di Milano aimed at designing the smart-glasses of the future, a new generation of wearables which are capable of autonomous network connection. It is a pioneering project that will enable the development of new technologies and services using a widely used interface such as eyewear.

The EssilorLuxottica Smart Eyewear Lab in Milan will work as part of the EssilorLuxottica Group’s R&D platform, which is already operating globally. The EssilorLuxottica Smart Eyewear Lab will initially last five years and will employ over 100 enthusiastic and talented researchers and scientists working closely together in a dedicated space within the Innovation District in Milan. 

Envision your future job in the LAB:

By joining EssilorLuxottica and EssilorLuxottica Smart Eyewear Lab you’ll have the opportunity to live first-hand an immersive experience in technology, innovation and the future. As a plus, you’ll work in a passion-driven and diverse environment made up of international and various stakeholders.

In this context, we are looking for a highly motivated physicist/optical engineer for the development of innovative augmented reality solutions to be applied on future smart glasses. As a physicist/optical engineer in this project, you will work closely with the research teams from Politecnico di Milano and EssilorLuxottica, dealing with new challenges to develop innovative solutions for embedding AR solutions on spectacles.

In particular, the physicist/optical engineer will be included in the optical integration research stream of the Smart Eyewear Lab.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• State of the art analysis. Identify relevant previous studies on a specific topic, select the most relevant approaches by comparing them and implement the proposed solutions.
• Optical design and prototyping. Design optical set-up for augmented reality environment through simulation softwares and proof-of-concept (POCs) realization.
• Testing protocols and data analysis. Test and validate POCs through ad-hoc defined protocols and analyze data
• Supervising. Supervise junior staff members and PhD students
• Optical integration and industrialization. Integrate optical system into eyewear and define industrialization methods.

The ideal candidate is a physicist/optical engineer with research and development skills, interested in the world of smart eyewear devices, capable of developing innovative solutions independently but at the same time working in a team with heterogeneous skills, bringing his own contribution in the development of complex and highly innovative solutions. In particular, the ability to design and prototype optical configuration for AR applications. Knowledge of photonics, nano-photonics and programming are also essential skills.

• PhD in Physics, Physical engineering, Photonics
• At least 5 years of experience in R&D position after PhD
• Experience in literature analysis and scouting of innovative approaches.
• Proficiency in data exploration and results presentation.
• Solid experience in optical design and light projection systems. Previous experience in augmented reality field is a plus.
• Solid experience in optical devices prototyping, testing and validation
• Experience in imaging and holography
• Experience with waveguides, choeherent and non-coherent light sources
• Experience in languages such as Matlab, Python or C++.
• Experience in optical simulation software such as Ansys Zemax, Ansys Lumerical, Comsol multiphysics
• Basic knowledge of electronic systems and sensors, embedded system and firmware development.
• Fluent English