Photonics Field Applications Engineer (FAE)

OpenLight Photonics Inc.; Santa Clara, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ISOs

Insurance

401k matching

Unlimited vacation

Spot bonuses

Job summary

OpenLight Photonics Inc. is seeking a highly motivated Photonics Field Applications Engineer to support AI infrastructure, hyperscale datacenters, high-speed networking, and LiDAR applications.

You will be the main technical interface between customers, sales, product management, and engineering to drive adoption of next-generation photonic solutions. The role requires engaging customers through presentations, demos, and trainings, and traveling up to 30–50% domestically and internationally.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in Field Applications Engineering, Systems Engineering, Optical Networking, Silicon Photonics, or Optical Module Development.
• Experience supporting hyperscalers, cloud service providers, AI infrastructure, networking OEMs, or LiDAR customers.
• Familiarity with AI networking ecosystems and optical interconnect architectures.
• Experience selling into target markets with technical influence.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary technical liaison for strategic customers and partners.
• Deliver technical presentations, product demonstrations, and training.
• Understand customer architectures and roadmaps to align solutions with business objectives.
• Build trusted relationships with engineering, operations, procurement, and executives.
• Provide on-site and remote support through evaluation, design-in, qualification, and production phases.

Skills

Customer engagement

Technical presentations

Solution development

Account collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering / Photonics / Electrical Engineering

Job description

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and customer-focused Photonics Field Applications Engineer to support leading-edge optical technologies for AI infrastructure, hyperscale datacenters, high-speed networking, and LiDAR applications. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in photonics, optics, and networking with exceptional interpersonal skills to engage customers, identify opportunities, solve complex technical challenges, and accelerate product adoption.

This role serves as the primary technical interface between customers, sales teams, product management, and engineering, helping drive successful deployment of next-generation photonic solutions for 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T, and emerging optical networking platforms.

What You Will Do

Customer Technical Engagement

• Serve as the primary technical liaison for strategic customers and partners

• Deliver technical presentations, product demonstrations, and solution training

• Understand customer architectures, requirements, and roadmaps to align solutions with business objectives

• Build trusted relationships with engineering, operations, procurement, and executive stakeholders

• Provide on-site and remote technical support throughout evaluation, design-in, qualification, and production phases

Solution Development

• Support customer integration of photonic and optical networking products

• Assist customers with high-speed optical interconnects, silicon photonics solutions, optical engines and transceivers, fiber-optic assemblies, AI cluster networking architectures, and LiDAR sensing systems

• Troubleshoot optical, electrical, and system-level performance issues

Technical Leadership

• Act as the voice of the customer within engineering and product teams.

  Translate field requirements into product enhancements and roadmap recommendations.

  Influence future product development based on customer feedback and market needs

• Collaborate with R&D teams on technology demonstrations, proof-of-concepts, and customer evaluations

Business Development Support

• Support sales and account teams during customer engagements

• Participate in technical proposal development, RFQs, and RFP responses

• Identify expansion opportunities and drive technical wins

• Represent the company at industry conferences, customer meetings, webinars, and trade shows

Your Background Includes

• 5+ years in Field Applications Engineering, Systems Engineering, Optical Networking, Silicon Photonics, or Optical Module Development

• Experience supporting hyperscalers, cloud service providers, AI infrastructure companies, networking OEMs, or LiDAR and sensing customers

• Familiarity with leading AI networking ecosystems and optical interconnect architectures

• Experience selling into key target markets with a track record of technical influence

• Existing customer contacts at strategic growth targets preferred

• Ability and willingness to travel internationally

• Flexibility to work across global time zones

• Excellent soft skills with a demonstrated ability to build trusted engineering-level relationships

• Ability to travel up to 30-50% domestically and internationally

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related technical discipline

About OpenLight

OpenLight is growing as customer adoption and industry momentum continue to accelerate. The rapid growth of AI and cloud infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for faster, more energy-efficient optical connectivity. We are addressing this challenge through a platform approach that simplifies the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and accelerates industry adoption.

As part of our team, you will contribute to technologies that enable AI and hyperscale data centers, high-speed optical communications, advanced sensing applications, next-generation photonic integration, and more. Our team is collaborative and fast-moving, and you will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions across technology, operations, and business growth.

OpenLight continues with a hybrid schedule, with a standard of three days/week in office; you select the days you're in, based on what's best for your work priorities.

OpenLight's salary for technical roles is dependent on the skills and experience of the individual, their primary work location, and other parameters; annual salary will generally be somewhere between $140,000-$215,000. In addition to cash compensation, OpenLight offers incentive stock options (ISOs), generous insurance support, 401k matching, unlimited vacation, spot bonuses, and a positive work environment. If you are excited about solving challenging problems, advancing cutting-edge technology, and working with a highly collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.