Optical Product Engineer

Summary / Objective:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Product Engineer to drive product and manufacturing process integration, New Product Introduction (NPI), qualification, and volume production ramp for advanced optical products. This includes high-performance on-board optical engines, active optical cables, silicon photonics (SiPh) and VCSEL-based multimode modules, optical PCI Express solutions, and pluggable optical transceivers manufactured in collaboration with premier Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) and Contract Manufacturer (CM) partners.

In this pivotal technical role, you will act as the core engineering bridge between internal R&D/design teams and external manufacturing sites/partners in Taiwan. You will ensure that every product is fully manufacturable, testable, reliable, and ready for high-volume production—whether built in-house or through external manufacturing partners. The ideal candidate possesses a deep system-level understanding of optical, optoelectronic, electronic, high-speed electrical, firmware, mechanical, thermal, and manufacturing interactions.

Essential Functions / Responsibilities:

1. NPI Lifecycle Management: Lead New Product Introduction from engineering builds (alpha/beta) through EVT, DVT, qualification, PVT, and production release, following a structured phase-gate product development process.

2. Cross-Functional Integration: Own product and manufacturing process integration spanning optical, optoelectronic, electronic, mechanical, thermal, firmware, test, and manufacturing functions.

3. Manufacturing Process & Flow Ownership: Oversee complex module manufacturing flows—including PCB/SMT assembly, die attach, wire bonding, optical engine assembly, active/passive alignment, fiber attach, adhesive cure, mechanical assembly, firmware programming, calibration, final test, burn-in, and reliability screening—driving Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) and Design-for-Test (DFT) feedback.

4. ODM/CM Technical Ownership: Act as the primary technical owner for partner-built products by conducting build-readiness reviews, evaluating process flows, control plans, and yield data, and managing technical issues and engineering changes.

5. Operational Readiness & Coordination: Coordinate build plans and ensure complete readiness of materials, equipment, fixtures, manufacturing processes, test systems, and documentation across internal and partner sites.

6. Configuration & Change Management: Manage product configurations and engineering changes (BOM, AVL, ECO/ECN, hardware, firmware, calibration, and test documentation); own the issuance of PCNs, including technical impact assessments for customers and stakeholders.

7. Yield Optimization & Monitoring: Monitor and analyze first-pass yield (FPY), final yield, retest, rework, scrap, and station-level performance, leading cross-functional yield improvement initiatives.

8. Root Cause Analysis (RCA): Lead RCA for complex product and process issues involving Tx/Rx optical performance, BER/FEC, TDECQ, OMA, receiver sensitivity, power, thermal behavior, control interfaces (e.g., CMIS), mechanical tolerances, and manufacturing variations.

9. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with R&D, HW/OE test, quality, process engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing partners to resolve technical hurdles.

10. Process Optimization: Support Design of Experiments (DOE), process characterization, tolerance analysis, and design optimization to enhance performance, manufacturability, reliability, and cost.

11. Manufacturing Documentation: Establish and maintain manufacturing readiness and release packages, including process flows, SOPs/work instructions, build reports, and transfer requirements.

Experience / Qualifications (Ideal Candidate Profile):

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or above in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Optoelectronics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Experience: 5+ years of hands-on experience in product engineering, NPI, or process integration for optical transceivers, optical engines, photonics, or high-speed electronics.

• System Architecture Knowledge: Strong understanding of optical module components, including VCSEL, DFB, EML lasers, photodiodes (PDs), TIAs, drivers, DSPs, retimers, MCUs, power ICs, PICs, and optical engines.

• Manufacturing & Process Expertise: Working knowledge of module manufacturing processes and the interactions between process variation, yield, and reliability.

• High-Speed & RF/Optical Metrics: Familiarity with NRZ/PAM4, BER, FEC, TDECQ, OMA, receiver sensitivity, high-speed electrical interfaces, and thermal management.

• Execution Skills: Proven track record with NPI, BOM/ECO management, yield analysis, DOE, root cause analysis, and cross-functional problem-solving.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate across global engineering, manufacturing, and partner organizations.

Preferred Experience / Desired Skills:

1. Experience with 400G, 800G, 1.6T, or next-gen optical transceivers in QSFP-DD, OSFP, or OSFP-XD form factors, LPO/LRO or DSP-based architectures, and on-board/mid-board optical engines (including optical PCIe).

2. Hands-on experience with optical module assembly processes (die attach, wire bonding, active/passive alignment, fiber attach, etc.).

3. Working knowledge of CMIS, IEEE 802.3, PCIe, MSAs, and optical module qualification standards (e.g., Telcordia GR-468-CORE).

4. Experience managing ODM/CM partners and component suppliers through NPI, volume production, and manufacturing transfers.

5. Strong analytical, project management, and organizational skills, with the ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.