Electronic Hardware Engineer

Opticore; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Opticore seeks an Electronic Hardware Engineer to translate system requirements into practical PCB hardware for photonic computing systems. You will own board development from schematic design to bring-up, with focus on high-speed analog circuits, DACs/ADCs, and TIAs. Collaboration with photonics and electronics teams is essential.

You will develop test plans, characterize prototypes, coordinate fabrication, and maintain design files and documentation in a research environment in Berkeley, CA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Proficiency with PCB design software such as Altium Designer.
• Expertise in high-speed analog circuit design and mixed-signal PCB development.
• Strong understanding of signal integrity, power integrity, low-noise design, and parasitics.

Responsibilities

• Own board development from schematic design through PCB layout, prototype bring-up, and validation.
• Work with photonics and electronics teams on high-speed analog circuits and TIAs, DACs/ADCs, and signal conditioning.
• Develop test plans, characterize and troubleshoot prototypes, and document results.
• Coordinate fabrication and assembly with vendors and maintain design files and test documentation.

Skills

PCB design

High-speed analog design

Signal integrity

DACs/ADCs

Board bring-up

Oscilloscopes

Schematic design

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

Altium Designer

Circuit simulation tools

Job description

Conventional chips are hitting a wall, and as AI inference demand grows, power consumption is becoming the single biggest constraint on deployment at scale.

Opticore is developing a photonic computing system that accelerates artificial intelligence workloads with exceptional speed and energy efficiency.

About the Role

We are seeking an Electronic Hardware Engineer with broad expertise in circuit design, PCB development, and hardware testing. Working closely with our photonics and electronics engineers, you will translate system requirements into practical electronic hardware for photonic computing systems, with attention to signal integrity, noise, and parasitic effects. The position may be offered at the Senior level depending on qualifications.

You will own board development from component selection and schematic design through PCB layout, prototype bring-up, and validation. The work includes high-speed analog circuits, data converters such as DACs and ADCs, interfaces to photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and board-level circuits such as TIAs, integrators, and signal conditioning using discrete components and ICs.

You will develop test plans, characterize and troubleshoot electronic prototypes with the photonics team, and analyze and document results. You will also coordinate fabrication and assembly with vendors and maintain component libraries, design files, and test documentation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Proficiency with PCB design software such as Altium Designer.
• Demonstrated expertise in high-speed analog circuit design and mixed-signal PCB development, including circuits with DACs, ADCs, TIAs, or integrators, with the ability to independently design, build, and troubleshoot boards.
• Strong understanding of signal integrity, power integrity, low-noise design, and the effects of parasitic capacitance and inductance.
• Strong foundation in analog and digital circuits, power supplies, operational amplifiers, feedback circuits, and component selection.
• Experience using circuit simulation to support design and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with multilayer PCB design and manufacturing requirements.
• Experience with board bring-up, troubleshooting, and electrical testing using oscilloscopes, signal generators, and other relevant equipment. Ability to measure circuit performance, including gain, bandwidth, noise, and stability, and analyze results.
• Ability to work independently, communicate clearly, and collaborate in a research and development environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Experience developing electronic hardware for photonic systems.
• Experience with rapid hardware prototyping.

Physical Requirements

Ability to occasionally lift and carry equipment or materials weighing up to 35 pounds.