Photonics Applications Engineer

Texas Instruments•Santa Clara, CA

10d•$140,000 - $227,000

About The Position

Texas Instruments is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Applications Engineer for its Optical Signal Chain and Controllers team. The role leads customer support, debugging, and characterization of next-generation optical and electrical ICs, silicon-photonics-based optical subassemblies, and optical engines for high-speed data communications applications. The engineer connects product design with customer experience by resolving technical challenges, integrating devices into customer systems, and translating customer feedback into design improvements. The position includes architecting, assembling, and bringing up high-speed (>50 GHz) bench test setups, and developing accurate, high-throughput measurement procedures and reporting. The engineer works with design teams and product architects on characterization across die, package, and board levels, and may supervise and mentor junior applications engineers. The role also coordinates application and validation work across global sites.

Requirements

At least 5 years of industry experience with datacenter transceivers and high-speed electrical and optical interfaces, including at least 50 Gbps/lane PAM4.
Hands-on experience developing and bringing up bench setups for die- and package-level testing, small- and large-signal testing, and high-throughput test automation.
Experience designing and bringing up multipurpose high-speed opto-electrical test stations.
Expertise with high-speed (>50 GHz) test equipment, including Lightwave Component Analyzers (LCA), DCAs, AWGs, and real-time oscilloscopes.
Ability to develop and optimize robust bench-test automation scripts to increase throughput and characterization coverage, ensure repeatability, and streamline data logging and databasing.
Strong time-management skills and ability to multitask across multiple test setups in parallel.
Knowledge of single- and multi-channel optical fiber coupling schemes, including normal-incidence, edge coupling, and grating couplers; fiber alignment procedures; and high-speed electrical interfacing such as direct RF probing and high-speed connectors.
Demonstrated ability to lead test initiatives and coordinate junior engineering staff.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Experience summarizing and presenting complex test results to cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with 200 Gbps/lane interfaces.
Hands-on PCB and optical assembly experience tailored for test environments.
Proficiency in Python, Matlab, JMP, and Spotfire.

Responsibilities

Lead external customer and partner interactions, answer technical questions, and support new-product design-in activities.
Specify, assemble, and validate custom high-speed (>50 GHz) electrical, electro-optical, and optical-optical die-level test setups.
Identify, select, and procure test tools and equipment; work with equipment vendors to bring up and troubleshoot measurement systems.
Collaborate with design teams and product architects to develop test plans across die, package, and board levels.
Apply industry-standard practices for high-volume, high-speed electrical and optical characterization.
Build and maintain structured measurement-data databases; analyze results and report findings using data-visualization tools.
Direct, coordinate, and supervise the daily testing efforts of junior applications engineers.
Coordinate application and validation efforts across multiple global sites.
Develop and execute characterization through product ramp and provide post-ramp application support to customers.
Present complex test results to cross-functional teams.