Optical Scientist / Engineer

Role Purpose

Corning Incorporated is hiring an Optical Scientist/Engineer in Corning, NY. This is a full-time onsite role that typically works Monday–Friday, 40 hours per week, with flexibility as needed to support project objectives. Occasional travel may be required, primarily domestic, with international travel included as needed to support cross-site collaboration and customer engagements. Relocation assistance is available.

If you're a photonics scientist who can't help but ask why — who takes fundamentals and pushes them further instead of just executing the assignment — Corning is where you do it. This position sits within Corning's optical products development team at our Sullivan Park R&D site, where you'll lead the development and characterization of co-packaged optics, advanced optical measurement systems, and fiber-optic subsystems shaping the future of data communications. You'll design and run experiments, build novel test platforms, and partner with global R&D, manufacturing, and customers to turn cutting-edge optics into deployable technology. If you bring deep technical curiosity, a willingness to challenge assumptions, and the drive to expand what's possible in photonics — this role delivers.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and characterize next-generation optical technologies, with emphasis on co-packaged optics, optical measurement methods, or fiber-optic components and subsystems.


• Design, execute, and analyze experiments to evaluate optical performance, system behavior, and reliability.


• Build and refine optical test setups, measurement techniques, and data analysis tools for photonic and fiber-optic applications.


• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across Research, Development, Manufacturing, and Product Line organizations to move projects from concept to implementation.


• Partner with global colleagues to support technology development, integration, and scale-up.


• Engage directly with customers to understand requirements, communicate findings, and shape solutions.


• Document innovations through invention disclosures, technical reports, and presentations.


• Stay current on industry trends in optical interconnects, photonics, and data communications.

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• Ph.D. in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.


• Minimum 5 years of post-academic experience in optical technology development, photonics, or fiber-optic systems.


• Hands-on experience with optical measurements, experimental methods, and data analysis.


• Working knowledge of fiber optics, photonic devices, or optical interconnect technologies.


• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across technical teams.


• Available for occasional domestic and international travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Experience with co-packaged optics, optical transceivers, silicon photonics, or optical interconnect architectures.


• Experience characterizing optical components and systems (insertion loss, return loss, coupling efficiency, polarization, bandwidth, or signal integrity).


• Experience developing optical test setups and data acquisition/analysis tools.


• Knowledge of data center, high-speed communications, or networking applications.


• Experience interacting with customers or external partners in a technical capacity.


• Track record of innovation through publications, patents, or successful product development.