Application Engineering Manager - Optical

DSJ Global; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

DSJ Global seeks an experienced Applications Engineering Manager to lead a photonics test applications team supporting high-speed optical communications. The role combines technical leadership, people management, and customer engagement, working with engineering, product, and sales teams.

Responsibilities include mentoring engineers, serving as senior escalation point, driving design-ins, and coordinating cross-regional support while developing automated test solutions using Python or C/C++.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in optical R&D, testing, design, or applications engineering.
• Strong background in high-speed optical communications and photonics testing.
• Hands-on experience with optical test and measurement equipment.
• Knowledge of high-speed Ethernet standards (IEEE 802.3bs/cd).
• Proven people management or team leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Applications Engineers for photonics test solutions.
• Senior technical escalation point for complex customer and product issues.
• Drive customer design-ins, demonstrations, training, and technical workshops.
• Oversee troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, calibration, and system support.
• Support optical transceivers, silicon photonics, and high-speed optical links.
• Collaborate with R&D and product teams to relay customer feedback.
• Develop automated test solutions using Python, C/C++, or similar.
• Coordinate support across regional teams and key customers.

Skills

High-speed optical communications

Customer-facing communication

People leadership

Design and test review

Education

Photonics / Optical Engineering / Physics / Electrical Engineering

Tools

BERTs

CDRs

Optical sampling scopes

Optical spectrum analyzers

Optical power meters

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Applications Engineering Manager to lead a photonics test applications team supporting high-speed optical communications technologies. This role combines technical leadership, people management, and customer engagement, working closely with engineering, product, and sales teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Applications Engineers supporting photonics test solutions.
• Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex customer and product issues.
• Drive customer design-ins, product demonstrations, training, and technical workshops.
• Oversee troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, calibration, configuration, and system-level support.
• Support optical transceivers, silicon photonics, and high-speed optical links.
• Work with equipment including BERTs, CDRs, optical sampling scopes, optical spectrum analyzers, and optical power meters.
• Partner with R&D and product teams to communicate customer feedback and influence future product development.
• Develop and improve automated test solutions using Python, C/C++, or similar programming languages.
• Build strong relationships with key technical customers and coordinate support across regional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Photonics, Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in optical R&D, testing, design, or applications engineering.
• Strong background in high-speed optical communications and photonics testing.
• Hands-on experience with optical test and measurement equipment.
• Knowledge of high-speed Ethernet standards, including IEEE 802.3bs/cd.
• Experience troubleshooting from the system level down to individual components.
• Prior people management or demonstrated technical/team leadership experience.
• Strong customer-facing communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to travel to customer sites and industry events as needed.

What I changed: Removed all company-specific branding and culture language, consolidated overlapping responsibilities, and kept the technical keywords that will matter most for sourcing, particularly silicon photonics, optical transceivers, BERT/CDR, optical test equipment, high-speed Ethernet, customer applications, and team leadership.