Senior Optical Systems Validation Engineer - Optical Circuit Switch (OCS)

PsiQuantum•Palo Alto, CA

4d•$117,500 - $197,200

About The Position

PsiQuantum is seeking a Senior Optical Systems Validation Engineer to lead validation of optical switching technology in representative data-center communication systems. Working with photonics, hardware, firmware, and systems engineering teams, this engineer will own optical link and bit-error-rate setup bring-up, define validation plans, and quantify performance under customer-relevant operating conditions. The work will provide evidence for product readiness, design decisions, and customer demonstrations while helping establish test capabilities, qualification methods, and the technical approach to optical link validation. This is a hands-on technical role for an engineer with relevant experience and a track record of independently building and debugging communication test systems. The position may be filled in one of four U.S. geographic zones, including some remote locations. Full-time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Estimated annual base salary ranges by zone are: Zone 1, $167,800–$197,200; Zone 2, $151,100–$177,500; Zone 3, $134,300–$157,800; and Zone 4, $117,500–$138,000.

Requirements

Degree in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Relevant experience in high-speed optical communications or interconnect validation; 5+ years is preferred.
Experience independently owning hardware bring-up and qualification.
Hands-on experience building and debugging optical link test setups using BER equipment, optical transceivers, and relevant optical or high-speed electrical instrumentation.
Understanding of optical link budgets, receiver sensitivity, high-speed modulation, receiver synchronization, equalization, and forward error correction.
Proficiency in Python or a comparable language for instrument control, test automation, and data analysis.
Ability to translate link requirements into measurable, reproducible tests, critically interpret results, and communicate findings across engineering teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience validating optical switching systems or data-center optical interconnects.
Experience with transient measurements, receiver synchronization, or link recovery testing.
Experience with Ethernet, InfiniBand, or other relevant high-speed interconnect interfaces.
Experience building network testbeds and using traffic generators to measure throughput, latency, and packet loss.
Experience supporting customer evaluations or reproducing integration issues in the laboratory.

Responsibilities

Translate customer requirements into optical link validation plans, including test configurations, coverage, operating conditions, acceptance criteria, and appropriate test durations.
Select, bring up, and automate test setups using BER equipment, optical transceivers, evaluation platforms, and relevant communication endpoints.
Build representative link configurations based on intended customer architectures, including relevant scale-up and scale-out applications.
Measure link error performance and remaining optical power margin under steady-state and dynamic operating conditions, comparing reference links with links incorporating the company's switching subsystems.
Investigate link failures and performance limitations; distinguish subsystem effects from transceiver, electrical-interface, firmware, and test-setup behavior; and coordinate investigations with relevant engineering teams.
Develop repeatable demonstrations and produce clear reports describing measured performance, limitations, and readiness for customer evaluation.