Principal Engineer, Photonics Product Development

Ayar Labs

Ayar Labs

Product

San Jose, CA, USA

USD 130k-155k / year

Posted on Jun 4, 2026
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Position: Principal Engineer, Photonics Product Development
Location: San Jose, CA
Job Id: 622
# of Openings: 0
Principal Engineer, Photonics Product Development

Location: San Jose (on site)
Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models.
Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures.
The Principal Photonics Product Development Engineer will be responsible for 1) collaborating with Design teams to drive DFx into product architecture, 2) defining manufacturing flows and test content optimized for yield, quality, and cost, and 3) analyzing production data to identify design and process gaps impacting yield and driving closure of gaps. You will partner with Fab, Design, Packaging, Test, Validation, and Manufacturing teams to deliver best-in-class connectivity products to the market.

Essential Functions:
  • Publish product health indicator (PHI) roadmap forecasting test time, yield, and quality goals as a function of time from first Si to HVM startup
  • Define manufacturing strategy and test flow to achieve PHIs
  • Collaborate with design team to implement DFT features to achieve desired test coverage
  • Define the requirements specs for test hardware (probe card, loadboard, ATE, prober) and work with the Test team to enable desired content/coverage
  • Write the test program
  • Own the success of the product by driving towards hitting the PHIs
  • Drive test time reduction and test socket elimination to achieve cost goals
  • Drive DPM reduction through test hole closure
  • Drive yield up by identifying root causes of failures and working with Design, Fab, and Packaging to address gaps
Basic Qualifications:
  • Advanced degree (MS) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or related field
  • 10+ years experience in semiconductor industry as a Product Development Engineer
  • Experience working with Design team pre-Si to define test and DFT strategy
  • Experience establishing end-to-end manufacturing flow/strategy for optical transceiver products, including a deep understanding of photonic component fabrication, assembly, and specification and optimization of optical channels
  • Experience establishing end-to-end manufacturing flow/strategy for CMOS products, including deep understanding of CMOS fab processes and advanced packaging
  • Experience developing test programs for optical transceiver products
  • Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex technical information clearly and concisely
  • Demonstrated ability to influence senior company leadership and customers
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Advanced degree (PhD) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or related field
  • Experience establishing end-to-end manufacturing flow/strategy for optical IO products, including deep understanding of photonics fab and assembly processes
  • Experience developing test programs for optical IO products on industry standard and/or custom platforms
  • Experience working with fab and OSAT to drive yield and quality agenda
  • Developing tools to automate test program generation and data analysis
Salary range: $130,000 - $155,000
NOTE TO RECRUITERS:
Principals only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.
Ayar Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.
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