Director of Applications Engineering

Applications Engineering Director – High-Speed Data Center Connectivity

This role is seeking a motivated and energetic individual with experience in high-speed data center connectivity. The candidate will leverage technical expertise, planning ability, interpersonal, and communication skills to drive application engineering excellence and customer success.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide management leadership to a team of Application Engineers supporting design-in activities across Asia-Pacific and global customers for all DCC BU products
  • Prioritize team tasks, interface with customers and internal teams, and manage budget and annual resource planning
• Work closely with regional Sales and FAE teams to secure design wins and strengthen relationships with key customers and strategic partners
  • Clarify customer system specifications and application requirements
  • Provide direct software integration and debugging support to tier-1 customers and strategic partners
  • Deliver training to sales teams and showcase products to customers
• Act as the interface between customers and internal teams to reproduce issues and perform first-level debugging
  • Represent the voice of the customer on technical matters
  • Support internal development including minor firmware modifications, API drivers, and diagnostic tools
• Gather customer and market insights to support marketing initiatives
  • Contribute to use case development, product roadmap planning, and competitive analysis
• Support product development by creating reference designs for system validation and customer evaluation
  • Develop product collateral and customer documentation, including application notes, datasheets, and user guides
  • Collaborate with engineering teams to improve product reliability, quality, and user experience
• Collaborate with internal teams and customers to define validation plans for high-speed connectivity products
  • Including Ethernet/InfiniBand optical transceivers, AOCs, and AECs tested via automated test equipment (ATE)

Technical Skills & Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of team management experience in an Applications Engineering or related leadership role
• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Electrical Engineering (EE) or Computer Engineering (CE), with at least 10 years of experience in optical module design for long-haul and data center transceivers
• At least 5 years of experience in optical transceiver product development using C/C++ is preferred
• Broad knowledge of:
  • Analog circuits and system hardware integration
  • Firmware and application-layer software
  • RF/SI simulation tools (e.g., ADS, HFSS) is a plus
• Extensive expertise in optical transceiver systems and applications
  • Familiarity with MSA/CMIS standards is advantageous
• Strong software design and debugging capabilities
  • Experience with driver integration and ATE development for reference design testing is highly desirable
  • Ability to develop Python-based ATE software is a strong plus
• Hands-on experience with:
  • 400G / 800G / 1.6T transceiver design
  • Technologies such as DML, EML, SiPh, driver/TIA/CDR/DSP/PAM4
  • Including circuit design, HW/SW debugging, and application support
• Experience in high-speed digital and RF/microwave PCB design
• Familiarity with lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, signal generators, network analyzers, DCAs, CDRs, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and BER testers

Additional Requirements

• Strong customer support experience is essential
• Proven leadership capability to manage application engineers across optical hardware, software, and validation domains
• Strong ownership with the ability to drive customer issues to closure and act as a bridge between customers and internal engineering teams
• Ability to develop and maintain technical documentation, including datasheets, application notes, and user guides, and guide customers on product usage
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally across marketing, engineering, sales, and operations
• Experience supporting IC products in high-volume markets
• Strong multitasking, technical account management, and project management skills
• Self-motivated, fast learner, and able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Capable of handling both technical and business challenges
• Willingness to travel up to 30% to support partners and customers on-site