Staff/Principal Electrical Engineer

Job Title

Staff/Principal Electrical Engineer

Role Summary

Owner of electrical architecture for optical transceiver modules, responsible for low-noise analog and high-speed digital/PCB design from concept through production. Lead and direct a PCB layout engineer and work cross-functionally with photonics, firmware, test, NPI, and supply chain teams.

Experience Level

Senior level (staff to principal). Placement depends on demonstrated technical ownership and scope; see Education Requirements for detailed years-of-experience guidance.

Responsibilities

Design and deliver mixed-signal and high-speed PCB hardware for photonic transceivers and validation/control boards, and lead electrical design activities through production.

• Own end-to-end electrical architecture for control and validation boards supporting photonic ICs and transceiver modules.
• Create detailed circuit schematics and review other EE designs; use OrCAD, PADS, Altium Designer, or equivalent.
• Architect low-noise analog control loops, noise budgeting, grounding, and shielding strategies.
• Design power delivery and PDNs for high-current, high-thermal-load conditions; optimize power efficiency and EMI filtering.
• Design high-speed digital interfaces with impedance-controlled routing and signal-integrity practices; guide PCB layout for SI, PDN, and thermal management.
• Select components, develop second-source strategies, and manage long-lead/EOL risk in coordination with supply chain.
• Direct PCB layout engineer through placement to manufacturing data release, including DFM/DFT/DFA/DFR requirements and design release governance.
• Lead electrical test planning across EVT, DV, and PV; collaborate with test and NPI teams to resolve issues and achieve production readiness.
• Maintain design documentation, BOMs, assembly drawings, and PLM records; gate deliverables against requirements.
• Communicate technical trade-offs and status to cross-functional and non-technical stakeholders.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and demonstrated experience owning complex mixed-signal board designs and delivering them to production.

• Proven track record owning electrical architecture for complex mixed-signal boards and modules.
• Extensive mixed-signal experience: low-noise analog design, noise budgeting, grounding, shielding.
• Power design expertise: PDN design, high-current/high-thermal designs, buck/boost/LDO topologies, EMI filtering.
• High-speed digital design experience: impedance-controlled routing and high-speed serial interfaces; signal integrity practices.
• Proficiency with SPICE simulation for circuit validation.
• Experience integrating MCU, SoC, ASIC, and FPGA components at board level.
• Proficiency in schematic and PCB tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, OrCAD, PADS) and familiarity with PCB fabrication and DFM/DFT/DFA/DFR practices.
• Experience with PLM tools (Arena) or equivalent for design release and part-number management.
• Vendor engagement and component qualification experience; ability to evaluate cost, reliability, availability, and second-source strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication; analytical troubleshooting skills across circuit and system levels.

Nice-to-have:

• Hands-on PCB layout experience.
• Firmware experience.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field. Experience bands provided by the employer: BS: 10–15 years; MS: 8–12 years; PhD: 5–9 years.

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.