About The Position
SpaceX’s Starlink Space Lasers team develops, produces, and deploys systems for transferring data over optical media. The Optical Transceiver Engineer contributes to the development of optical physical-layer systems for Starlink satellites. The role combines theoretical expertise and practical implementation to solve complex problems in real-time, resource-constrained systems. The engineer is responsible for optical datacom system design, validation, and operation, helping shape optical data communications and interconnect systems and the high-bandwidth optical networks within satellite payloads. The position collaborates across engineering, software, automation, manufacturing, supply chain, reliability, management, customers, and vendors.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in physics, computer science, electrical engineering, or another engineering/STEM discipline.
- At least 5 years of hands-on laboratory or work experience in photonics, SERDES/optical DSP design, or signal integrity design; university lab, student project, or internship experience may count.
- At least 5 years of experience in a programming language such as C++, MATLAB, and/or Python.
- Ability to work extended hours and weekends as needed for mission-critical deadlines.
- Must meet U.S. Government export-control requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree or PhD in physics, computer science, or an engineering/STEM discipline.
- Proficiency with data communication system simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, VPI Photonics, or Lumerical Interconnect.
- Proficiency with signal integrity design tools such as HFSS, HFSS 3D Layout, or CST.
- Proficiency with optical design tools such as Zemax.
- Hands-on experience in system design, integration, tuning/optimization, and testing of data communication systems.
- Knowledge and experience in SERDES, signal equalization/conditioning/decision functional blocks, and interpreting SERDES receiver adaptation details and other queried optical-link information to identify and resolve impairments.
- Knowledge and experience with lasers, modulators, photodiodes, fiber optics, optics testing and troubleshooting, high-speed drivers and TIAs, optical DSP, SERDES, differential copper channels, and signal integrity principles.
- Knowledge and experience with guided-mode and fiber-optics principles, photonic integrated circuit testing and troubleshooting, and manufacturing and integration processes.
- Knowledge and experience with signal integrity principles, copper-channel testing and troubleshooting, SI feature simulation and optimization, and end-to-end modeling of SI impact on system performance.
- Experience leading development of commercial transceivers and data communications products.
- Experience with hardware development for high-reliability applications.
- Ability to assess risk and make design and development decisions without all available data.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere.
- Competence with optical test equipment, including power meters, spectrum analyzers, and laser sources.
- Experience with signal integrity and data communications test equipment, including sampling oscilloscopes, real-time oscilloscopes, vector network analyzers, bit error rate testers, and time-domain reflectometers.
- Competence with Python scripting and a Linux operating system environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Apply interdisciplinary knowledge spanning photonics, electrical engineering and signals, and mechanical engineering to data communication system development, including design, analysis, and validation.
- Represent the optical data communication network in program-level, cross-disciplinary trades and issue resolution.
- Analyze trade spaces among optical interconnect technologies and approaches to minimize SWaP-C while meeting throughput and reliability/uptime requirements.
- Participate in verification testing, including environmental and functional qualification, reliability testing, and fault-injection testing.
- Review test data and lead anomaly investigation and resolution.
- Maintain link models, design specifications, and system capabilities data.
- Interface with manufacturing and supply chain teams to ensure final designs can be manufactured in accordance with project goals.
- Collaborate with software and automation teams to develop tools and protocols for automated link tuning, operation, and qualification.
- Represent optical datacom systems in reliability and risk discussions with internal reliability teams, management, customers, and vendors.
Benefits
- Potential eligibility for long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards.
- Potential discretionary bonuses.
- Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
- 401(k) retirement plan.
- Short- and long-term disability insurance.
- Life insurance.
- Paid parental leave.
- Various other discounts and perks.
- Up to 3 weeks of accrued paid vacation.
- 10 or more paid holidays per year.
- Washington State employees accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law.
- Company shuttles for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office, Monday through Friday.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
