Engineer III

Corning • Moline, IL

6d

About The Position

Corning is a world leader in glass, ceramic, and materials science, known for pushing technological boundaries. The Optical Communications segment has evolved into a comprehensive provider of optical solutions. This role, Systems Engineer, Co-Packaged Optics, is responsible for collaborating with customers and partners to understand product challenges, develop system-level solutions, define product requirements, and drive the adoption of Corning's Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) products. The position requires deep technical expertise in semiconductor manufacturing and photonic connectivity, coupled with a strong customer focus. It serves as a crucial link between Corning's R&D, program management, and business teams to shape the future of AI infrastructure in hyperscale data centers. This is a high-visibility role that leverages systems expertise and communication skills to guide customers from initial architecture discussions through design-in, qualification, and serial production. The role bridges internal engineering teams and customers to resolve deployment challenges and influences the CPO roadmap based on direct customer insights.

Requirements

• Master's or Doctorate Degree in Physics, Electrical, Optical or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent fields.
• 7+ years of experience in an applications, systems, or product development function, with meaningful time in a customer-facing technical role (Systems Engineer, Applications Engineer, Scientist, or Solutions Architect).
• Participation in complex projects and contribution to multi-functional teams in a fast-paced competitive environment.
• Deep understanding of one or more of the following: optics, glass as a material, optical fiber and communications, Silicon Photonics, semiconductor packaging, semiconductor metrology, electronic hardware design and manufacturing.
• Ease with frequent customer engagements at a technical level, with the ability to comprehend technical needs and convey effective value propositions.
• Ability to collaborate across functional and geographical boundaries to solve problems and develop solutions.
• Conceptualize complex specification and application requirements and articulate to internal/external stakeholders to initiate new product development or implement product changes.
• Mobilize and influence people within and outside the organization to meet objectives.
• Garner trust and lead collaborative work efforts, both internally and externally, across multiple time zones.

Nice To Haves

• Work experience in PLM, Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, and/or Product Development in a fast-paced OEM context.
• +3 years of industrial experience.
• Systems-level knowledge of CPO architectures, including photonic engines, external laser sources (ELS/ELSFP), fiber attach, ASIC integration and advanced packaging.
• Direct experience deploying CPO, NPO, LPO, or advanced pluggable optics in production or pre-production environments.
• Familiarity with AI/ML fabric architectures (scale-up / scale-out), including GPU/XPU cluster designs and optical I/O requirements.
• Fluent English, verbally and written.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary technical point of contact for strategic customers and ecosystem partners throughout the CPO product lifecycle - from early architecture discussions through design-in, qualification, and deployment
• Lead product and system ideation with our customers and partners, with the goal of addressing identified needs through differentiated product offerings
• Translate customer requirements into internal product specifications, ensuring alignment between external needs and Corning's R&D and product development capabilities.
• Conduct feasibility studies and develop initial design concepts to be transferred to R&D
• Establish ongoing and trusting relationships with technical counterparts amongst our primary customers and partners within the CPO ecosystem.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer applications, the systems in which they operate, and how Corning products function in these applications.
• Lead technical deep-dive sessions, architecture workshops, and design reviews with customer engineering teams, including hyperscaler network architects and ASIC/platform engineers.
• Perform system level thermo-mechanical simulations to provide design recommendations
• Deliver compelling technical presentations, demos, and proof-of-concept (PoC) engagements
• Participate in mapping out market trends and technology roadmaps, identifying key gaps and recommendations in terms of both technology capabilities and new products.
• In close collaboration with PLM and Marketing, help refine Corning's value proposition in the context of a deep understanding of the applications and use cases of our CPO solutions

Benefits

• Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at [email protected].

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior