Automation & Optomechanical Engineer
Dynamic Optics — Padova, Italy | Full-time
About Dynamic Optics
Dynamic Optics is a CNR-IFN spin-off and technology leader in adaptive optics, specialising in deformable mirrors, multi-actuator adaptive lenses, and wavefront sensors for applications spanning microscopy, vision science, astronomy, high-power lasers, and space communications. Based in Padova and backed by Officina Stellare SpA, an Italian leader in advanced optical instrumentation for space, Dynamic Optics combines academic novelty with industrial-grade engineering and real-world deployment.
We are currently at the center of a pioneering deep-tech project, co-funded by the European Union, at the intersection of cinematography, optical engineering, imaging science, and machine learning. Its mission is to digitise the optical behaviour of real professional cinema lenses, enabling precise measurement, simulation, and creative manipulation of characteristics such as distortion, aberration, flare, bokeh, and depth of field.
By combining advanced optical hardware, computational imaging, and AI-driven modelling, the project creates high-accuracy digital lens twins, bridging physical cinematography with digital image generation and unlocking new capabilities for VFX, virtual production, CGI rendering, and generative AI.
The Role
We are seeking an Automation and Optomechanics Engineer to develop and guide our proprietary lens scanning system: the hardware core of our optical measurement platform.
The scanner is a precision robotic instrument designed to profile the full optical aberration signature of professional cinema lenses, including PSF, distortion maps, vignetting, aberrations, flare, ghosting, and scattering. You will be responsible for advancing the mechanical design, owning the automation software, and bringing the system to a level of reliability and operational maturity suitable for accurately characterising the optical characteristics of real-world professional cinema lenses.
The role sits at the centre of the scientific and technical foundation of the project. You will work within a highly skilled team at Dynamic Optics, reporting directly to the company’s Scientific Director, and collaborate with software and ML engineers within an EU-funded research consortium.
Key Responsibilities
Scanner development and automation
* Own the full development cycle of the lens scanning system, from mechanical design refinement to software automation.
* Develop, maintain, and debug control software for the robotic scanning system (Python and C++).
* Design and implement self-calibration algorithms, motor control routines, and automated measurement workflows.
* Build the scanner control interface for operator use in professional environments.
Optomechanical design and integration
* Assess the scanner’s mechanical architecture and drive improvements or redesign where necessary.
* Specify, source, and integrate mechanical and optical components with a full understanding of cost and manufacturing constraints.
* Perform precision optomechanical assembly, alignment, and laboratory validation of the system.
Measurement and validation
* Develop and execute measurement protocols for PSF, distortion, vignetting, and related optical parameters.
* Validate scanner output against empirical and simulated reference data.
* Support technical reporting and documentation for project milestones and EU grant deliverables.
Cross-team collaboration
* Interface with the optical simulation and ML teams to ensure scanner output meets the data quality requirements of downstream algorithms.
* Contribute to technical documentation, decision logs, and partner-facing materials.
Skills and Experience
Required
* MSc in Engineering Physics, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
* Strong knowledge of mechatronics: sensors, actuators, motion control, and embedded communication protocols.
* Experience in automation software development, including control systems, motor drivers, and hardware interfaces (Python and C++).
* Experience with optical laboratory setups including alignment, collimation, and basic optical measurement techniques.
* Proficiency in 3D CAD for mechanical component design and structural analysis, with experience in high-precision assemblies requiring tight tolerances.
* Familiarity with subtractive and additive manufacturing processes sufficient to specify components, assess manufacturability, and make cost-effective design decisions.
* Fluent English, written and spoken (B2).
Bonus
* PhD in a relevant engineering or physics discipline.
* Experience in geometric optics and optical design software (Zemax, CODE V, or equivalent).
* Experience in wave propagation and PSF mathematics.
* Background in robotics or precision motion systems.
What We Offer
* A deep scientific and technical role in a multidisciplinary team where your contribution is visible and your decisions matter.
* Direct collaboration with world-class optical scientists and engineers and with deep-tech optical professionals in cinema and VFX.
* A hybrid working arrangement based in Padova, with flexibility suited to focused R&D work.
* Competitive compensation commensurate with experience.
Dynamic Optics is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds.