Principal Engineer- Fiber Optics

Insight Global; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Insight Global is seeking a senior technical leader focused on developing and qualifying next-generation pluggable optics, including 400ZR/ZR+, 800G, and 1.6T/3.2T transceivers for data center environments. The role emphasizes collaboration with PLM, sales, and vendor partners to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in coherent optical communications, extensive test/validation experience, and proven ability to engage customers on technical

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and architectural direction for next-generation pluggable optics and adjacent products.
• Serve as a technical authority on customer calls and site visits.
• Own development and qualification of emerging technologies (400ZR/ZR+, 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T).
• Lead validation, interoperability, and qualification for transceivers across platforms.
• Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of complex transceiver issues.

Job description

This position is responsible for developing/qualifying new products as well as maintaining technical support for current products, focusing on emerging technologies like 400ZR/ZR+, 800G optics, 1.6T transceivers, and emerging 3.2T transceivers in the Data Center arena. This includes working with vendors to make sure the products meet and maintain our technical requirements. Deliver high-quality services to our customers providing technical and solution-oriented support.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and architectural direction for next-generation pluggable optics and adjacent products, driving innovation and differentiation across the product roadmap in collaboration with Product Line Management (PLM).
• Serve as a technical authority and customer-facing expert on customer calls and site visits., supporting strategic customer engagements and complex technical escalations.
• Own the development and qualification on new and emerging technologies including 400ZR/ZR+, 800G optics, 1.6T transceivers, and emerging 3.2T transceivers in the Data Center arena.
• Lead validation, interoperability, and qualification efforts for transceivers across multiple platforms and network environments.
• Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of complex transceiver issues, working directly with customers and manufacturers to resolve them.
• Provide technical guidance on transceiver coding, configuration, and product data management, ensuring consistency, traceability, and scalability across the portfolio.
• Develop a strong relationship with sales team to increase support for key customers.
• Advise on laboratory strategy, tooling, and infrastructure, ensuring lab capabilities support current and future optic development and testing needs.
• Create and maintain testing and technical requirements documents for customers and vendors.
• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends in transceivers, influencing internal strategy and external partnerships.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in optical networking and transceiver technologies, with demonstrated impact in product development or systems engineering roles.
• Extensive hands-on experience with coherent optical communication systems, including functional knowledge of modulation formats, FEC, baud-rate scaling, and coherent DSP architecture.
• Proven experience developing, testing, and validating pluggable optics, including 100G DCO, 400G ZR/ZR+, 800G, and pre-standard or early-deployment 1.6T transceivers.
• Deep familiarity with coherent pluggable form factors, including QSFP28 DCO, QSFP-DD DCO, OSFP DCO, and CFP2-DCO.
• Experience integrating and troubleshooting DCO optics on carrier-class and data-center platforms, including Cisco, Arista, Juniper, Nokia, Ciena, NVIDIA, Dell, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of industry standards and MSAs, such as OIF 400ZR and OpenZR+, and experience applying them to transceiver development.
• Expertise with fiber-optic and electronic test equipment for validation, characterization, and failure analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to work directly with customers in technical, solution-oriented, or escalation-driven engagements.
• Ability to interpret and produce complex technical documentation, including schematics, datasheets, and engineering work instructions.
• Experience with platform configuration, interoperability testing, and advanced troubleshooting across IP and optical domains.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with microcontroller or low-level firmware development related to optical modules.
• Experience with PCB design, signal integrity, or power/thermal considerations for high-speed optics.
• Hands-on experience with network deployments, turn-up, or operational support.
• Strong understanding of data center network architectures supporting high-capacity optical interconnects; formal network certifications are a plus but not required.
• Experience with fiber-optic test equipment such as EXFO and equivalent vendors.

Personal Traits and Characteristics

• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Strong leadership and technical influence
• Effective communicator across technical and non-technical audiences
• Results-driven with ability to manage multiple priorities
• Collaborative, innovative, and solution-focused