Principal Optical Engine (OE) / Link Architect

Job Title

Principal Optical Engine (OE) / Link Architect

Role Summary

Lead the technical definition and architecture of optical link and transceiver subsystems for next-generation optical products, driving OCI-MSA-ready Optical Engine designs. Work closely with Product Management to convert market requirements into actionable product specifications and lead cross-functional engineering trade-offs across optics, electronics, thermal, and mechanical domains.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires 10+ years of relevant industry experience as a Transceiver Architect, Link Architect, or Principal Optical System Architect.

Responsibilities

Own product-level architecture and requirements for Optical Engines and end-to-end optical links.

• Create, refine, and own Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) from MRDs.
• Architect complete optical transceiver subsystems balancing optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical constraints for OCI-MSA compliance.
• Define and manage end-to-end link budgets; model impairments (dispersion, noise, crosstalk, penalties) and specify FEC and signal-integrity requirements.
• Lead system-level integration of PICs and EICs; optimize interfaces between DSPs, TIAs, modulator drivers, and optical components.
• Specify modulation formats and interface requirements (e.g., PAM4, coherent); coordinate with SI/PI teams for high-speed compliance.
• Represent the company in standards and MSA activities; ensure alignment with OCI and relevant consortia.
• Perform technical and cost trade-off analyses for architectures, packaging technologies, and component choices.

Requirements

Must-have technical and professional qualifications.

• Must-have: 10+ years of industry experience as a Transceiver/Link Architect or similar role.
• Must-have: Deep hands-on architectural expertise with Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and Electronic Integrated Circuits (EICs).
• Must-have: Proven track record designing optical transceivers (pluggable or co-packaged) such as OSFP, QSFP-DD, or co-packaged optics.
• Must-have: Mastery of link budgeting, optical penalty modeling, and FEC trade-offs for high-speed datacom/telecom links.
• Must-have: Familiarity with OCI ecosystem and developing products aligned with MSAs.
• Must-have: Strong product-definition skills, including writing detailed PRDs and translating MRDs into technical specifications.
• Nice-to-have: Experience at tier-1 semiconductor or optical networking companies (e.g., Intel, Broadcom, Marvell, Cisco).
• Nice-to-have: Experience with advanced 2.5D/3D packaging (TSV, micro-bumping, flip-chip) and thermal design for high-density/co-packaged or pluggable optics.
• Nice-to-have: Excellent communication skills for cross-functional technical leadership.

Education Requirements

MS or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or a related technical field.

About the Company

Company: Xscape Photonics

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States

Developer of integrated photonics solutions and instrumentation, specializing in photonic circuits, control systems, and test methodologies for optical communication and sensing applications. Works on device integration, control algorithms, and validation of photonic hardware and firmware.