Senior Optical Engineer

About the Role

Experienced senior-level optical engineer to lead technology development for co-packaged optics (CPO). The role combines hands-on optical and SiPh device packaging engineering with project/technical management, vendor collaboration, cross-functional and global team leadership, and R&D to bring manufacturable CPO solutions to production. Candidate must have deep process engineering experience in SiPh packaging, semiconductor laser/device packaging, optical fiber handling, and/or semiconductor wafer processes.

What You Will Do

• Lead technology development activities for CPO and associated optical packaging solutions.
• Define and execute packaging solutions R&D: die attach, adhesive selection, wire bonding, fiber attach, alignment, thermal and stress considerations, and material qualification.
• Plan and run feasibility studies, design-of-experiments (DOE), pilot builds, and reliability testing.
• Project and technical management (planning, schedules, budgets, risk management, vendor coordination).
• Manage and lead cross-functional teams (design, manufacturing, reliability, supply chain, quality) and collaborate with global sites/vendors.
• Hands-on lab/bench work: prototyping, process setup, process optimization, optical fiber handling, optical alignments, test automation, and test integration.
• Identify process/packaging yield drivers, implement corrective actions, and scale technologies toward production.
• Prepare technical documents, reports, presentations, and interact with external partners and suppliers.
• Mentor junior engineers and build team capabilities.

Core Competencies & Behavioral Skills

• Leadership: able to lead technical teams and mentor others.
• Communication: clear technical writing, presentation, and stakeholder management.
• Problem solving: structured problem solving and root-cause investigation.
• Collaboration: successful cross-functional and global team player.
• Planning & Execution: organizes complex programs, meets milestones, manages risks.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Master's degree or higher in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of industry experience in optical packaging, SiPh packaging, or semiconductor laser/device packaging with strong process engineering background.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in optical device packaging: die attach, adhesives, wire bonding, optical fiber management, optical alignment, materials selection.
• Strong knowledge of semiconductor wafer processes and interactions with packaging (e.g., thermal budgets, contamination control).
• Proven track record leading technology development projects and cross-functional/global teams.
• Excellent communication and people management skills; experience managing vendors and supplier qualification.
• Willingness and ability to travel as required (domestic and international travel).
• SiPh (silicon photonics) packaging and integration processes.
• Experience in process development and optimization related to optical devices.
• Optical fiber knowledge: theory, handling, cleaving, splicing, ferrule/array assembly, fiber pigtail techniques.
• Die attach processes, bonding materials (solders, adhesives), curing processes, and reliability implications.
• Thermal analysis and mechanical/stress analysis for packages.
• Materials science for packaging: coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch mitigation, adhesives, and underfills.
• Wire bonding and alternative electrical interconnects; knowledge of flip-chip and other interconnect technologies.
• Test/measurement for optical devices: insertion loss, return loss, optical alignment tolerances.
• Familiarity with reliability testing standards (thermal cycling, HTOL, moisture, mechanical shock/vibration).

What Will Put You Ahead

• Prior CPO development experience and understanding of system-level integration.
• Experience with design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and design-for-test (DFT) in optical packaging and optical devices.
• Background in automation for assembly/align/test, process control, and statistics (SPC).
• Multi-site/global program management experience.
• Experience with supplier development and contract/manufacturing scale-up.

Pay

$160,000 - $220,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.