Application & Support Engineer, Optical

Description The Optical Engineer provides technical expertise, primarily in Ansys optics simulation tools, to support PADT’s customers while also assisting PADT’s ANSYS sales team through strategic pre-sales and technical scoping activities utilizing: engineering knowledge, simulation experience, problem solving, enthusiasm, written and verbal communication, eagerness to learn.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Enthusiastically answer customer questions on software utilization, applicability, and help identify and implement workarounds for customer problems
• Keep accurate records of customer interactions including use of a Customer Relations Management system
• Look for opportunities to improve processes for PADT customers as well as within PADT
• Support PADT’s software sales team by acting as the technical resource throughout the sales process
• Be present virtually and in person with PADT’s sales team and prospects and customers, using sales knowledge and technical skills to help move sales opportunities to the next level
• Help identify simulation opportunities with potential customers and help match PADT’s and ANSYS’ solutions to customers’ needs
• Define customer requirements and help determine customer processes and workflows
• Create and present technical product demonstrations to customers and prospects
• Perform benchmarking with ANSYS tools and collect various performance and accuracy metrics
• Educate colleagues on areas of expertise and participate in training to grow into other expertise areas
• Assist in the development of formal sales proposals to ensure technical accuracy
• Coordinate and deliver sales collateral, such as presentations to customers and prospects
• Present PADT’s expertise and capabilities to prospects and customers and help to grow relationships
• Create training material as needed and conduct training classes as needed
• Develop technical marketing material including tutorials, blog postings, and videos

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Location: Must be able to work from our offices in Tempe, Arizona, or Lakewood, Colorado.

Required Education/Experience:

• Bachelor of Science in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field; master’s degree preferred
• Minimum of one year of experience with optics and/or photonics simulation tools (e.g., Ansys optics simulation tools Zemax and/or Speos for optical devices and optical components design and simulation.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and in diverse team environments
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to develop practical engineering solutions for challenging optics and photonics problems
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills in English
• Proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and Excel
• Familiarity with scripting or programming (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for workflow automation and data processing
• Availability for occasional travel (approximately 10–15%)

Preferred Education/Experience

• 3.0 GPA or higher
• Familiarity with Linux operating systems
• Laboratory experience with optical characterization, measurement, or alignment
• Experience with additional Ansys products or multiphysics workflows that couple optics/photonics with thermal, structural, or electrical behavior
• Familiarity with version control and basic software development or data analysis practices for simulation post-processing

This role requires access to U.S. export-controlled information. Therefore, for applicants who are not asylees, refugees, lawful permanent residents or U.S. Citizens (i.e., not a protected individual under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), otherwise known as a U.S. Person), final offers will be contingent on the ability to obtain authorization for access to U.S. export-controlled information from the U.S. Government.

PADT, Inc. complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. PADT, Inc. does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.