Member of Technical Staff, Silicon Photonics Integration

About the Role

We are seeking a seasoned technical leader to drive the architecture, integration, and productization of next-generation coherent transmission products. This role spans from component and PIC/EIC interfaces through the optical engine, module, and system levels, ensuring alignment with capacity, reach, optical performance, power, thermal, form-factor, cost, reliability, and manufacturability goals.

Responsibilities

• Product and system architecture (30%): Own the integration architecture for coherent transmission products. Convert high-level goals into clear specifications and acceptance criteria.
• Cross-domain co-design and integration (25%): Lead design tradeoffs across SiPh PICs, coherent DSP/ASICs, drivers and TIAs, lasers and passive optics, high-speed electrical interfaces, package/interconnect, PCB, thermal/mechanical design, and embedded control. Establish interface control, tolerance budgets, and design-review closure across disciplines.
• Performance modeling, validation, and qualification (20%): Develop link budgets, impairment and margin stacks, calibration/monitoring strategies, and predictive models. Define and lead bring-up, characterization, DVT, reliability qualification, correlation, and root-cause investigations at device, assembly, module, and system levels.
• Productization and cross-functional execution (15%): Partner with product, program, manufacturing, test, quality, reliability, firmware, sourcing, foundry, OSAT, contract-manufacturing, and supplier teams to manage technical risks and deliver DFM/DFT, production calibration, yield learning, cost, schedule, and volume-ramp objectives.
• Technology leadership (10%): Shape coherent and silicon-photonics technology roadmaps; evaluate emerging architectures and suppliers; support standards, customer, and partner engagements; generate and protect intellectual property; and mentor engineers through rigorous, data-based technical decision making.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Optics, Applied Physics, or a closely related field; Ph.D. preferred. A bachelor's degree with substantial directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Typically 15+ years of relevant industry experience, including significant technical leadership in optical communication systems and silicon-photonics or photonic-integrated-circuit product development.
• Demonstrated delivery of complex optical hardware through architecture, detailed design, prototype bring-up, design verification, qualification, manufacturing transfer, and volume ramp.
• Experience with coherent optical products such as 400ZR/800ZR, coherent pluggables, digital coherent optics, transponders, or comparable high-speed transmission platforms is strongly preferred.
• Proven success leading matrixed, cross-functional technical teams and resolving high-impact design and productization issues without relying on direct organizational authority.

Skills

• Deep knowledge of coherent transmitter/receiver architecture, modulation and detection, optical link budgets, OSNR, dispersion, polarization effects, nonlinearities, and DSP/hardware impairment interactions.
• Hands-on knowledge of SiPh PIC characterization and integration with EICs, lasers, fiber attach and optical coupling, advanced package/interconnect technologies, and high-speed electrical interfaces.
• Strong system-level understanding of RF design, signal and power integrity, thermal/mechanical constraints, control/monitor functions, and optical/electrical calibration.
• Ability to create and use analytical and simulation models, structured experiments, statistical data analysis, and automated characterization to drive design decisions and yield learning.
• Working knowledge of DFM, DFT, reliability physics, qualification methods, configuration/change control, failure analysis, production test, and quality systems for high-volume optoelectronic products.
• Demonstrated judgment in requirements decomposition, interface management, architecture trade studies, technical risk management, and design-review leadership.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain complex technical decisions to executives, customers, suppliers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to work effectively across global teams and time zones and to travel up to approximately 15% for supplier, manufacturing, customer, or program needs.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid, remote, or on-site work arrangement will be determined by the assigned location and business needs.
• Regular work in office and engineering laboratory environments using computers and optical/electronic test equipment.
• Frequent interaction with global engineering, product, manufacturing, supplier, and customer teams.
• Travel up to approximately 15% may be required for supplier, manufacturing, customer, or program activities.
• Occasional schedule flexibility may be required during product bring-up, qualification, issue resolution, and production ramp.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer, in meetings, or in a laboratory.
• Use of hands and fingers for typing and for handling optical, electronic, and mechanical components or test fixtures.
• Ability to move within office, laboratory, and manufacturing environments and to wear required PPE.
• Occasional lifting or moving of equipment, fixtures, or materials weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone/video, and in writing.