Staff Hardware Engineer (Optics)

Quick Facts

Staff Hardware Engineer (Optics)

Description

You will own the electrical design of an optical module or a defined subsystem for high-speed optical platforms, translating platform requirements into schematics, component selection, and PCB layout constraints. You will bring designs up in the lab (from power-on to a working link), measure performance against specifications, debug electrical/optical/control interfaces with firmware and photonics engineers, and drive fixes to validated results. You will also support manufacturing by correlating bench and production-test results and handing off validated test procedures and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Translate platform requirements into schematics, component selections, and PCB layout constraints for power delivery, clocking, control interfaces, and high-speed signal paths
• Take first silicon and boards from power-on to a working link
• Set up the bench; verify rail voltages and sequencing; check clocks and resets; establish register access
• Debug electrical and optical interfaces alongside firmware and photonics engineers
• Measure performance against defined specifications and set pass/fail limits (e.g., rail ripple, module power, BER, link margin)
• Run tests across relevant voltage, temperature, and operating conditions; document margin to spec and where it breaks down
• Reproduce intermittent issues, isolate the cause across hardware, firmware, and optics, and verify fixes with before/after measurements
• Support pilot builds, correlate bench and production-test results, and hand off validated test procedures, debug instructions, and design documentation to NPI and manufacturing teams

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 3–5 years of relevant hardware engineering experience; or master’s degree/PhD with 2–3 years of relevant experience (equivalent professional experience accepted)
• Hands-on ownership of at least one PCB or electrical subsystem through schematic capture or layout review, first power-on, and bench validation
• Experience with ECAD tools such as Cadence OrCAD, Allegro, or comparable tools
• Personal experience measuring at least two board-level parameters (e.g., rail ripple, power-sequencing timing, clock frequency or jitter, current draw)
• Comfort using oscilloscopes, programmable power supplies, multimeters, and logic analyzers
• Experience debugging at least one board-level control interface (e.g., I2C, SPI, UART) using bus captures, register reads, or firmware logs
• At least one example of taking a hardware issue from symptom to verified fix
• Ability to explain bench setup, original measurement, changes made, and measured results vs. target

Benefits

• Eligible to participate in bonus and equity plans, including new hire equity grant and annual equity refresh
• Comprehensive benefits across financial well-being, family support, mental and physical health, and recognition
• Employee stock purchase plan with a 2-year look back
• Family support programs
• Mental health resources
• Recognition and service awards