Principal Optical Fiber Architect

Job Title

Principal Optical Fiber Architect

Role Summary

Lead the Optical Distribution Network (ODN) design, integration, and validation for PsiQuantum system builds. Report to System Design and coordinate across quantum, electronics, mechanical, thermal, and systems teams to translate component-level fiber links into scalable, manufacturable system architectures.

Role is based in Milpitas, CA and focuses on low-loss, phase- and polarization-stable fiber networks for silicon-photonic quantum systems from prototype through productization.

Experience Level

Senior-level. The posting expects 10+ years of industry experience, with 5+ years specifically designing and testing fiber networks and optical systems.

Responsibilities

Design, integrate, and validate the fiber distribution network to meet system-level optical and stability requirements.

• Define end-to-end fiber link architecture connecting PICs, subsystems, and control systems; scale designs from prototypes to manufacturable systems.
• Establish design principles for ultra-low-loss links, length/phase/polarization stability, and mechanical/thermal robustness.
• Address thermal drift, vibration sensitivity, routing, splicing, connectorization, cleanliness, and handling practices.
• Create and maintain system-level design requirements, BOMs, and documentation.
• Work with vendors to evaluate and qualify advanced fiber components for quantum applications.
• Lead prototype builds, test plans, validation, and transition from proof-of-concept to productization.
• Develop and run laboratory tests, including Python scripting and calls to control software/APIs for equipment automation.
• Communicate results and trade-offs clearly with cross-functional teams.

Requirements

Key technical and professional qualifications required or strongly preferred.

• Must-have: 5+ years designing, validating, and testing fiber networks and fiber-optic systems; deep expertise in fiber loss mechanisms, dispersion, nonlinear effects, polarization, and phase stability.
• Must-have: Experience with advanced splice equipment, fiber handling/routing, connectorization, and cleanliness procedures for high-performance optical links.
• Must-have: Hands-on experience with optical test equipment such as power meters, optical backscatter reflectometers (OBR), and optical spectrum analyzers (OSA).
• Must-have: Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation used in photonics/electronics and with software controls using Python for equipment control and data collection.
• Must-have: Experience developing test methods, optimization/tuning algorithms, and moving designs from R&D to product development.
• Must-have: Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Nice-to-have: Experience qualifying vendor components for manufacturing and maintaining detailed BOMs for complex systems.

Education Requirements

M.S. or Ph.D. in Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field (explicitly stated). The posting specifies these degrees; no alternative "equivalent experience" language was provided.

About the Company

Company: PsiQuantum

Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA, United States

PsiQuantum develops silicon-photonic quantum computers aimed at building million-qubit, fault-tolerant systems. Founded in 2016, the company combines semiconductor manufacturing processes, photonic hardware, and quantum software to scale quantum systems for commercial and government applications.