Principal Electrical Engineer – High-Speed Optoelectronics & RF Systems

MKS Instruments, Inc.; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Life and disability insurance

12 paid holidays

Sick time

15 paid vacation days

Parental leave

Adoption assistance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

MKS Instruments, Inc. is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead optoelectronic and RF systems development. You will partner with cross‑functional teams to architect, design and build next‑generation optical communication test systems.

Role requires hands‑on leadership across electrical, optical, mechanical, and manufacturing disciplines. You will drive system‑level analyses, roadmaps, and the design of high‑performance analog/RF circuits, photodiode receivers, and photonic interfaces,

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of experience developing complex electronic products.
• Deep expertise in analog circuit design.
• Strong RF and high‑speed electronics design experience.
• Experience designing photodiode‑based receiver systems.
• Experience with optical design and concepts.
• Experience with optoelectronic hardware development.
• Strong proficiency with circuit simulation and modeling tools.
• Expertise in laboratory characterization, debugging, and root‑cause analysis.
• Track record of bringing complex products from concept through production.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the development of complex optoelectronic products and subsystems.
• Perform system‑level tradeoff analyses involving performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
• Support technology roadmaps and identify emerging technologies relevant to future products.
• Develop RF and microwave circuits from DC to 100GHz and beyond.
• Design low‑noise signal conditioning, amplification, control, and power management circuits.
• Perform signal integrity, power integrity, and electromagnetic compatibility analyses.
• Design and characterize photodiode‑based receiver chains, including optics, TIAs, DAs, and receiver front‑end electronics.
• Perform HFSS‑based analog simulations and high‑speed signal‑path analysis.
• Travel up to 10% for project needs.

Skills

Analog circuit design

RF design

High-speed electronics

Photodiode receiver systems

Optical design concepts

Optoelectronic hardware development

Circuit simulation tools

Laboratory characterization

Production ramp experience

Education

MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

HFSS

SPICE

VNAs / spectrum analyzers

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS: As a Principal Electrical Engineer – High-Speed Optoelectronics & RF Systems at MKS, you will partner with electrical, optical, mechanical, and manufacturing teams to lead the architecture, design, and development of advanced optoelectronic optical communication test systems. This role requires a hands‑on technical leader capable of working across electrical, optical, and mechanical systems and manufacturing disciplines to develop next‑generation products.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Provide technical leadership for the development of complex optoelectronic products and subsystems.
• Perform system‑level tradeoff analyses involving performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
• Support technology roadmaps and identify emerging technologies relevant to future products.
• Develop RF and microwave circuits from DC to 100GHz and beyond.
• Design low‑noise signal conditioning, amplification, control, and power management circuits.
• Perform signal integrity, power integrity, and electromagnetic compatibility analyses.
• Design and characterize photodiode‑based receiver chains, including:
  • Focusing optics
  • Photodiodes
  • Transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs)
  • Distributed amplifiers
  • Receiver front‑end electronics
  • Optical detection and acquisition systems
• Perform HFSS‑based analog simulations and high‑speed signal‑path analysis.

Travel Requirements: Up to 10% of Travel is required.

Skills You Bring:

• MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of experience developing complex electronic products.
• Deep expertise in analog circuit design.
• Strong RF and high‑speed electronics design experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing photodiode‑based receiver systems.
• Experience with optical design and concepts.
• Experience with optoelectronic hardware development.
• Strong proficiency with circuit simulation and modeling tools.
• Expertise in laboratory characterization, debugging, and root‑cause analysis.
• Track record of bringing complex products from concept through production.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience developing electronics and optoelectronic hardware for high‑speed optical communications and datacenter networking applications.
• Experience with 100G, 200G, 400G, 800G, or higher‑speed optical communication systems.
• Experience with optical transceivers, coherent optics, and photonic integrated circuits (PICs).
• Experience with MMIC components and capabilities.
• Experience with RF amplifier design and topologies.
• Experience with semiconductor optoelectronic devices and device characterization.
• Experience with optical test and measurement systems.
• Familiarity with high‑performance instrumentation including oscilloscopes, vector network analyzers (VNAs), and optical/RF spectrum analyzers; TDECQ testing.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

Working at an office and laboratory environment. Lifting laboratory equipment up to 20lbs. We are interested in a qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Pay Range: $126,200 to $210,350 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law.

Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

• health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• life and disability insurance
• 12 paid holidays
• sick time
• 15 paid vacation days
• [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave
• adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details.

MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers.

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business. MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [e-mail]

At MKS, it's all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation. Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges. It's not just a job – it's what you make of it. While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on‑the‑job and formal training, as well as educational assistance. Curiosity is key at MKS – ask questions, own your path. Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries. The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong. Diversity isn't just a nice‑to‑have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us. Our group of ~10,000 employees serves semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial markets. With over 3,800 patents, our products are enabling advancements in 5G, renewable energy & storage, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and big data. We're the behind‑the‑scenes support for some amazing technology. MKSInc., enables technologies that transform our world. MKS Inc, Product Overview