Principal Field Application Engineer - Optical Connectivity

Talanto; San Jose, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Talanto in San Jose, CA seeks a Principal Field Application Engineer for Optical Connectivity. You will drive design wins and co-development with hyperscaler data centers, shaping the roadmap for 800G/1.6T/3.2T technologies.

You'll act as a strategic technical advisor, leading cross-functional teams and delivering expert guidance on signal integrity, transceiver design, and applications engineering to secure multi-million-dollar revenue opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering or related field; Master/PhD preferred.
• 8+ years of proven FAE experience with strategic customer engagement.
• Signal integrity expertise for 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T applications.
• Knowledge of optical transceiver architecture, design, validation, and manufacturing.
• Familiarity with LPO, LRO, and CPO architectures.
• Experience in high-speed PCB design including layout, impedance control, and validation.
• Proficiency with network analyzers, BER testers, oscilloscopes.
• Understanding of IEEE 802.3 and OIF standards.
• Understanding hyperscaler data center architectures and infrastructure evolution.
• Demonstrated success leading customer co-development projects with revenue impact.

Responsibilities

• Drive design wins for high-speed drivers, TIAs, copper redrivers with data center customers.
• Accelerate design-in cycles, removing technical barriers to secure revenue opportunities.
• Lead co-development initiatives for 1.6T and 3.2T+ with customer teams.
• Create joint innovation programs with Tier 1 hyperscalers.
• Align product roadmap with customer evolution plans.
• Lead evaluations and provide pre-sales and post-sales support.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex technical issues.
• Guide customers on hardware design, PCB layout, and system validation.
• Support qualification processes with manufacturers, network operators, and cloud providers.
• Create application notes and design guides establishing thought leadership.
• Influence PM and R&D priorities based on customer insights.
• Serve as strategic advisor to VPs in sales and product lines.

Skills

Signal integrity

Hyperscaler experience

Customer engagement

Strategic influence

PCB design

IEEE standards

Optical transceivers

Co-development

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Master's or Ph.D. preferred

Tools

High-speed test equipment

Signal integrity modeling

Job description

Principal Field Application Engineer - Optical Connectivity

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Location: San Jose, CA

Our Team:

is a global leader in high-performance analog ICs for high-speed optical and copper interconnect. As AI workloads drive exponential bandwidth growth toward 1.6T infrastructure, interconnect is becoming the major limiting factor in data center scaling, creating an unprecedented market opportunity at the intersection of technical innovation and commercial impact.

Job Summary:

This Principal Field Application Engineer represents a pivotal strategic hire, a technical strategist and commercial catalyst positioned to drive $100M+ in design-win revenue and establish market dominance across hyperscaler data centers. The dual mandate is clear: secure immediate design wins with ’s current portfolio of high-speed analog ICs for optical and copper connectivity in AI networks, while simultaneously leading long-term customer co-development initiatives that will define our competitive position in next-generation 1.6T and 3.2T connectivity.

Success requires becoming a trusted technical advisor whom Tier 1 hyperscaler customers welcome into their most confidential labs, not as a vendor, but as an extension of their design teams. You'll leverage consultative discovery to uncover the situational factors, business consequences, and decision criteria that drive customer choices. Your technical credibility will open doors; your strategic approach will close deals. Your voice will directly influence as the indispensable partner for the future of data center connectivity.

This role is for someone who thrives where breakthrough technology meets strategic business impact, someone ready to shape the future of an industry being transformed by AI.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Customer Co-Development & Innovation

Drive design wins for ’s portfolio of high-speed drivers, TIAs, copper redrivers, and other products, working closely with engineering teams from key data center customers.

Accelerate customer design-in cycles, proactively removing technical barriers to secure immediate revenue opportunities

Lead co-development initiatives for next-generation technologies (1.6T, 3.2T+) with customer engineering teams, defining the future of data center connectivity

Create joint innovation programs and proof-of-concept projects with Tier 1 hyperscaler providers that establish as their strategic technology partner

Align product roadmap with customer technology evolution plans, ensuring our solutions arrive precisely when markets mature

Technical Excellence & Customer Support

Lead technical evaluations and drive technical differentiation in competitive situations

Provide comprehensive pre-sales and post-sales customer support for strategic design-ins

Troubleshoot and debug complex technical issues with a relentless commitment to solving problems

Guide customers on hardware design, PCB layout, signal integrity optimization, firmware integration, and system validation

Support customer qualification processes with equipment manufacturers, network operators, and cloud service providers

Create application notes, white papers, and design guides establishing thought leadership

Cross-Functional Strategic Influence

Influence product management and R&D priorities based on customer insights and market intelligence

Serve as strategic technical advisor to VPs in sales and product lines, bridging the gap between customer needs and product strategy

Partner with engineering teams to ensure customer co-development projects receive appropriate resources and priority

Drive internal alignment across product management, engineering, marketing, sales, and operations

Minimum Qualifications:

Education & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical field (Master's or Ph.D. preferred)

8+ years of proven FAE experience, demonstrating expert-level technical capability and strategic customer engagement

Technical Mastery

Expertise in signal integrity (high-speed principles, modulation schemes, channel modeling, equalization) for 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T applications

Knowledge of optical transceiver architecture, design, validation, and manufacturing

Familiarity with LPO, LRO, and CPO architectures

Experience in high-speed PCB design including layout, impedance control, and signal integrity validation

Proficiency with high-speed test equipment (network analyzers, BER testers, oscilloscopes)

Understanding of IEEE 802.3 and OIF standards

Market & Co-Development Expertise

Understanding of hyperscaler data center architectures, network topologies, and infrastructure evolution

Demonstrated success leading customer co-development projects with significant revenue impact

Established relationships with Tier 1 hyperscaler engineering teams and Bay Area ecosystem partners (highly preferred)

Exceptional communication across technical and business audiences

Proven ability to influence without formal authority and work autonomously in complex situations

Strong initiative and ownership mentality

Desired Qualifications

Direct experience with high-speed laser/modulator drivers, TIAs, redrivers, and/or DSPs

Active participation in industry standards bodies (IEEE 802.3, OIF) driving 1.6T/3.2T specifications

Prior experience at hyperscaler operators, optical module vendors, or data center equipment manufacturers

We are proud to be an EEO employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace.

A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this position is $180,000-$200,000. There are several factors taken into consideration in determining base salary, including but not limited to: job-related qualifications, skills, education, and experience, as well as job location and the value of other elements of an employee’s total compensation package.