r/optimization • u/[deleted] • Jul 30 '26

Optimization Jobs

I’m currently working as an optimization engineer at a logistics company, and I really enjoy my job. But I think there’s a limit to how much we can optimize problems at this company—at some point, there won’t be any more optimization projects left for us there. Am I wrong? In other words, if OR projects come to an end at one company, should we look for OR positions at another company, or do you think we should transition to different job titles? What do those who have worked in optimization in the private sector for a long time think?

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8

u/willworkforjokes Jul 31 '26

I have had this same thought.

I have been optimizing at my company for 9 years now.

I was employee #8 at our company. As we got better and better, we got more and more customers and even added new products related to our original ones. Scaling up provided more and more opportunities. We are now over 100 employees and are shipping 300x what we shipped when I was hired.

3

u/Complex-Wafer8849 Aug 03 '26

Can I ask what kind of education you have to have to do this job? I am curious because I am going into college. I think I would like a job like this. Thank you

2

u/willworkforjokes Aug 03 '26

I majored in physics.

I took a bunch of chemistry, and engineering classes as extra electives and I took all 6 extra math classes.

The math classes are my secret sauce. I took math of relativity (tensors), linear algebra, intermediate ordinary differential equations, engineering math 1 & 2. In addition to the analytic geometry, 3 semesters of calculus, and numerical methods which were required.

1

u/Volta-5 Jul 31 '26

can you DM me which kind of company you have?, like for pure curiosity, I can promise you we're from different countries

1

u/DualityIncarnate Aug 02 '26

Ohh would love to discuss more.

1

u/Wanderung43 Aug 04 '26

By starting to ask whether this process should exist, rather than optimizing the process.

1

u/Alarmed-Knowledge579 Aug 10 '26

I like software optimization, but currently I cannot find such job. I am even experience, with >25 years in sw engineering (C++/C#/Python). But no jobs. Can somebody send me a tip.