CTO - AI-native optical design platform (Paraxial)

Qualifications

• The end-to-end architecture of Paraxial's early product
• You are a senior/principal-level engineer with deep experience building zero-to-one products in technically complex domains
• System design across backend, compute, and data layers
• Working with performance-sensitive code, whether in C++, Python, or another modern language
• Choosing and integrating the right technology (C++, Python, CUDA, GPU libraries, ML frameworks, rendering engines, etc.) based on constraints
• Architecting pipelines that involve optimization, numerical analysis, or scientific computation
• Writing pragmatic, reliable code while moving quickly
• You're not tied to one language or stack - you choose the right tool for the job
• Product & Execution Strengths
• Ability to independently deliver a working product slice in weeks, not quarters
• Strong intuition for glueing together APIs, LLMs, numerical code, and UI
• Clear communication with non-software domain experts
• Bias toward shipping, learning, and iterating
• Comfort owning ambiguous, open-ended problem spaces
• Domain Knowledge (Strong Pluses)
• Experience with simulation, rendering, robotics, AV, computational physics, or optimization
• Exposure to ray tracing, geometric optics, or optical system design
• Experience working in AR/VR, imaging, or any hardware-adjacent industry
• We do not expect deep optical expertise - but curiosity and ability to collaborate closely with optical engineers is essential
• You'll write code every day while also making foundational decisions about system design, performance characteristics, toolchain choices, and long-term architecture

Benefits

• The opportunity to reinvent an entire industry's core tools

Responsibilities

• This is a hands-on technical leadership role
• You will build the first working iteration of Paraxial, make the architectural decisions that define its long-term future, and grow the engineering organization around your technical vision
• Technical decisions across backend, orchestration, data modeling, optimization workflows, and early simulation integration
• Rapid prototyping of core workflows (spec model optimization results)
• Interfaces to external engines (ZOS-API or alternatives) and, eventually, modernized high-performance cores
• Early LLM integration workflows
• Development of reproducibility, logging, and correctness foundations
• Engineering culture, documentation, and hiring the first technical team
• Long-term decisions on HPC, GPU, ML, and CAD infrastructure - selecting the right tools for the job rather than adhering to a specific stack
• You are responsible for building the "spine" of Paraxial: the architecture, systems, and workflows the entire company will build on
• Building and shipping simulation-heavy or data-intensive workflows
• Stand up core backend services and data models
• Build the initial Parametric Optical Model (POM) schema
• Implement a pipeline that turns a spec (form or natural language) into an optimized optical system
• Integrate with existing engines (ZOS-API or similar) for design generation and analysis
• Build a simple but functional UI for entering specs and reviewing candidate designs
• Create the first LLM-driven spec mapper for natural-language input
• Ensure correctness by working closely with optical domain knowledge

Full Description

Chief Technology Officer

Paraxial - Seattle, WA (Hybrid or Remote for exceptional candidates)

Paraxial is building the first AI-native optical design platform, a modern successor to legacy tools like Zemax and Code V.

Optical systems drive AR/VR, LiDAR, robotics, aerospace, and biomedical imaging - yet the tools used to design them are outdated, slow, and fundamentally incompatible with modern compute and AI.

We're rebuilding the stack from first principles:

natural-language spec-to-model, high-performance ray tracing, intelligent design exploration, hybrid AI tolerancing, and CAD-native integration.

With hundreds of optical engineers already on the waitlist and enterprise design partners ready to begin pilots, we're hiring a CTO to architect and ship the beginning of the platform.

The Role

This is a hands-on technical leadership role.

You will build the first working iteration of Paraxial, make the architectural decisions that define its long-term future, and grow the engineering organization around your technical vision.

What You'll Own

• The end-to-end architecture of Paraxial's early product

• Technical decisions across backend, orchestration, data modeling, optimization workflows, and early simulation integration

• Rapid prototyping of core workflows (spec model optimization results)

• Interfaces to external engines (ZOS-API or alternatives) and, eventually, modernized high-performance cores

• Early LLM integration workflows

• Development of reproducibility, logging, and correctness foundations

• Engineering culture, documentation, and hiring the first technical team

• Long-term decisions on HPC, GPU, ML, and CAD infrastructure - selecting the right tools for the job rather than adhering to a specific stack

You are responsible for building the "spine" of Paraxial: the architecture, systems, and workflows the entire company will build on.

What You BringCore Technical Strengths

You are a senior/principal-level engineer with deep experience building zero-to-one products in technically complex domains.

You have strong command over:

• System design across backend, compute, and data layers

• Building and shipping simulation-heavy or data-intensive workflows

• Working with performance-sensitive code, whether in C++, Python, or another modern language

• Choosing and integrating the right technology (C++, Python, CUDA, GPU libraries, ML frameworks, rendering engines, etc.) based on constraints

• Architecting pipelines that involve optimization, numerical analysis, or scientific computation

• Writing pragmatic, reliable code while moving quickly

You're not tied to one language or stack - you choose the right tool for the job.

Product & Execution Strengths

• Ability to independently deliver a working product slice in weeks, not quarters

• Strong intuition for glueing together APIs, LLMs, numerical code, and UI

• Clear communication with non-software domain experts

• Bias toward shipping, learning, and iterating

• Comfort owning ambiguous, open-ended problem spaces

Domain Knowledge (Strong Pluses)

Not required, but very valuable:

• Experience with simulation, rendering, robotics, AV, computational physics, or optimization

• Exposure to ray tracing, geometric optics, or optical system design

• Experience working in AR/VR, imaging, or any hardware-adjacent industry

We do not expect deep optical expertise - but curiosity and ability to collaborate closely with optical engineers is essential.

In the first 30-60 days, you will work closely with the CEO and our optical domain expert to:

• Stand up core backend services and data models

• Build the initial Parametric Optical Model (POM) schema

• Implement a pipeline that turns a spec (form or natural language) into an optimized optical system

• Integrate with existing engines (ZOS-API or similar) for design generation and analysis

• Build a simple but functional UI for entering specs and reviewing candidate designs

• Create the first LLM-driven spec mapper for natural-language input

• Ensure correctness by working closely with optical domain knowledge

You'll write code every day while also making foundational decisions about system design, performance characteristics, toolchain choices, and long-term architecture.

Why Join Paraxial?

• Build the foundational technical architecture of a next-generation engineering platform

• Work at the intersection of physics, AI, simulation, and human creativity

• Direct exposure to real optical engineers shaping the future of hardware

• The opportunity to reinvent an entire industry's core tools