Optical Systems Engineer Lead

Lumilens; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Lumilens, based in San Jose, California, is seeking an Optical Systems Engineer Lead to spearhead the development of next-generation optical interconnect solutions for data centers and AI applications. You will provide technical leadership, mentoring a team while overseeing design and optimization efforts to enhance bandwidth and reliability.

The ideal candidate will have experience in high-speed optical communication, and a MS or Ph.D. in a related field is required. Join us in shaping the future of photonics and AI!

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership in transceiver design and high-speed optical communication systems.
• Familiarity with optical communication architectures.
• Hands-on experience with high-speed optical measurements.
• Strong leadership and team skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of optical transceiver products from concept through implementation.
• Define specifications and develop end-to-end optical system models.
• Guide signal integrity analysis and simulation of equalization techniques.
• Set verification testing requirements for transceivers and components.
• Analyze impairments on system performance.
• Conduct simulations under realistic operating conditions.

Skills

Transceiver design

High-speed optical communication

Modeling optoelectronic components

Digital signal processing techniques

Optical system simulations

Communication skills

Education

MS or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Optics, or a related field

Tools

VPIphotonics

MATLAB

Python

Job description

About Lumilens

At Lumilens we are building the critical photonics infrastructure that powers tomorrow’s AI supercomputing. From chip-to-chip optical interconnects to scalable photonic engines, Lumilens is unlocking a new era of computing - faster, cooler, and massively more efficient.

We’re a well-funded startup backed by Mayfield and led by veterans who’ve built and scaled some of the most transformative technologies in the industry. At Lumilens, we’re developing high-speed photonics products purpose-built to power the future of AI infrastructure and high-performance computing.

This isn’t incremental innovation, it’s a ground‑floor opportunity to rethink the optical layer from the silicon up. You’ll work alongside a team of world‑class engineers solving some of the hardest challenges in scaling optical systems. Every line of code, every design decision, every breakthrough you help deliver will shape the infrastructure of tomorrow. If you're looking for mission, momentum, and the chance to make an outsized impact, jump on the rocket ship. We’re just getting started.

About the Role

As the Optical Systems Engineer Lead at Lumilens, you will drive the development of next‑generation optical‑transceiver‑based interconnect solutions for data center and AI applications. You will provide technical leadership, overseeing the design, modeling, and optimization of high‑speed optical links—spanning laser and modulator selection, receiver performance, fiber‑coupling strategies, and system‑level tolerance analysis—to deliver exceptional bandwidth, efficiency, and reliability. Collaborating across IC, packaging, and reliability teams, you will ensure system requirements are translated into robust, manufacturable transceiver architectures scalable to the demands of hyperscale and AI‑accelerated computing. Your leadership will directly influence how future systems move data at unprecedented speeds and power efficiencies, and you will mentor and guide a team of engineers to achieve these goals.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team in the design of optical transceiver products from concept through implementation.
• Define system‑level specifications and oversee the development of comprehensive end‑to‑end optical system models, including digital signal processing (DSP), drivers, transimpedance amplifiers (TIA), and optical components such as lasers, Mach‑Zehnder modulators (MZMs), and photodetectors.
• Guide and review signal integrity analysis and the implementation and simulation of digital equalization techniques such as FFE, DFE, MLSD, and pre‑emphasis for signal integrity optimization.
• Set and drive the definition of verification testing requirements for both transceivers and components.
• Oversee analysis of the impact of impairments such as noise, crosstalk, non‑linearity, and reflections on system performance.
• Support the team in conducting both numerical and analytical simulations to assess optical system behavior under realistic operating conditions.
• Ensure simulation models are correlated with experimental data at module and component levels.

Minimum Qualification Required

• Demonstrated leadership experience in transceiver design and high‑speed optical communication systems and components.
• Familiarity with direct‑detection and coherent optical communication architectures.
• Expertise in modeling optoelectronic components (e.g., lasers, modulators, photodiodes, DAC, ADC, driver, TIA) using tools such as VPIphotonics, MATLAB, or Python.
• Familiarity with advanced DSP techniques, such as linear and decision‑feedback equalization (FFE/DFE).
• Knowledge of modeling on common impairments in high‑speed optical links.
• Hands‑on experience with high‑speed optical component measurements using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and other relevant equipment.
• Strong communication and team leadership skills.
• Willingness to travel (~20% of the time).

Education & Experience

• MS or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Optics, or a related technical field

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance
• Professional development and certification opportunities
• Access to cutting‑edge optical/photonics test environments and tools
• A collaborative, cross‑functional team dedicated to solving some of the hardest challenges in photonics
• Equal opportunity employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, identity, orientation, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status