Applications Engineer II

About the role

The Applications Engineer II role at Thorlabs exists to translate customer needs and market insights into well-defined product requirements, primarily for our growing lab electronics portfolio, while ensuring new products deliver clear performance advantages. This position bridges engineering, sales, and customers by testing and validating prototypes, demonstrating product capabilities through demos and technical content, and capturing real-world feedback to guide continuous improvement. The role also ensures responsive, organized customer support by managing technical inquiries and maintaining accurate records, helping drive both product innovation and customer success.

Responsibilities

• Develop and document product requirements for new lab electronics products based on customer needs, market trends, and application insights.
• Evaluate and benchmark prototype designs against competitive market solutions.
• Plan and execute structured testing of prototypes and translate results into actionable engineering feedback.
• Design and build compelling product demonstrations for tradeshows, customer visits, and internal reviews.
• Author technical whitepapers, application notes, and performance reports that clearly communicate product capabilities and advantages.
• Gather customer feedback, application challenges, and new product ideas through direct engagement at trade shows.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, marketing, and sales to align product requirements, messaging, and go-to-market activities.
• Maintain accurate records of customer engagements, opportunities, and technical issues within ERP/CRM tools to support business visibility.
• Develop application and support documentation to enable effective product adoption and customer success.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a similar position, or
• Experience in a photonics laboratory environment (essential)
• Experience building optical and electronic setups (essential)
• Experience in a customer-facing position (desired)

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in related field or equivalent work experience

Skills

• Deep experience with a variety of optics lab equipment, including spectrum analyzers, feedback electronics, lock-in-amplifiers, and digital data acquisition.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multiplex tasks
• Scientific coding for instrument control desired
• Strong problem-solving capability
• Strong computer skills with MS Office, ERP, CRM systems
• Ability to work well in an interactive environment
• Ability to manage many simultaneous requests

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life insurance
• A generous PTO package
• A 401(k) plan
• Tuition reimbursement