Staff Scientist, Optical Modeling

Corning Incorporated is hiring a Staff Scientist, Optical Modeling to join our research team at Sullivan Park in Corning, NY. This is an onsite role, Monday–Friday, with relocation support available and minimal travel (less than 10%, domestic and international).

In this role, you'll advance the fundamental understanding of optical phenomena and the interaction of light with various materials through modeling and simulation, in support of Corning products and manufacturing processes. Working within Corning's research organization at Sullivan Park, you'll apply your knowledge of optical physics, mathematical methods, and numerical computations — including ray tracing and wave optics — to influence the design of optical components, modules, and systems across Corning's businesses, including high-growth areas like optical communications and display technologies. As a subject matter expert and thought leader, you'll have the opportunity to propose and lead research initiatives, collaborate with multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams, and drive technological advancement and new scientific discovery. Backgrounds in photonics, fiber optics, integrated photonics, computational optics, and applied optical physics align strongly with the demands of this position.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical subject matter expert, proposing and leading research initiatives that advance Corning's optical technologies
• Develop and implement optical models to study light behavior in glass, thin films, waveguides, optical fiber components, and connectivity solutions
• Analyze optical physics problems through simulation to identify solutions, define operating conditions, and optimize designs
• Partner with experimental teams to validate modeling results against measured data and propose measurement techniques needed to accurately model systems of interest
• Build software tools and modeling capabilities that support both current business needs and future technology direction
• Contribute to multidisciplinary projects and translate modeling results into practical recommendations
• Document results in technical reports and patent applications

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• PhD in optical sciences, physics, or a closely related discipline
• Broad knowledge of optics, including experience simulating optical systems using both ray tracing and wave-propagation methods
• Experience modeling optical fiber components, optical waveguides, connectivity solutions, and light scattering
• Working knowledge of numerical techniques such as finite element, frequency-domain and time-domain methods
• Experience with scientific computing and code development
• Hands-on experience with industry-standard optical simulation tools such as Lumerical, Zemax, COMSOL, RSoft, or LightTools
• Strong communicator who works well independently and across diverse teams, with a proactive, solution-oriented approach and a commitment to advancing the state-of-the-art

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• 3+ years of experience in optical physics modeling and simulation
• Industrial experience designing optical components, modules, or systems
• Experience modeling optical fiber transmission links
• Working knowledge of computational physics and mathematical algorithms
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, and/or C/C++
• Familiarity with Linux, software engineering practices, version control, and test suites
• Experience using AI-enabled tools to write code or generate software for optical physics modeling