Principal Packaging Engineer, Optical Interfaces

Socket.dev; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

nEye.ai in Santa Clara is seeking a Principal Packaging Design Engineer to lead silicon photonics packaging. You will own processes from optical and mechanical design to implementation with contract manufacturers, ensuring precision optical assembly and high reliability for data-center scale.

This hands-on role requires deep knowledge of edge coupling, thermal stability, and failure prevention. You will collaborate with IC, mechanical, and reliability teams to push performance and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in packaging design for optical or photonic components.
• Direct experience with PIC optical edge coupling and alignment techniques.
• Direct product development and introduction experience involving edge coupling.
• In-depth knowledge of packaging materials, including optical adhesives and epoxies, and their design constraints for high reliability.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop robust, high-yield packaging processes for active and passive optical interfaces to PICs.
• Collaborate with IC and mechanical design teams to minimize stress, ensure thermal stability, and enhance reliability of the package.
• Act as the key technical interface with contract manufacturing partners, coordinating process design, implementation, and characterization for high-volume production.
• Define and manage critical process controls, alignment tolerances, and metrology methods for consistent high-performance output.

Skills

Optical packaging design

Edge coupling

CAD tools

Reliability engineering

Vendor collaboration

Thermal/structural analysis

Project leadership

Photonic packaging standards

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Master's in Optical Engineering

PhD in Materials Science

Tools

CAD tools

Job description

About Us:

nEye.ai, a well-funded optical switch startup, is poised to revolutionize the future of data centers. nEye’s MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switches (OCS) eliminate critical bottlenecks in AI processing by enabling direct optical connections among thousands of GPUs and memory units. The company's SuperSwitch is an ultra-low power consumption, high radix, compact chip-scale design, offering hyperscale data centers enhanced performance, efficiency, and scalability.

Job Overview:

This role is for a highly skilled and experienced Principal Packaging Design Engineer to lead the development of our next-generation silicon photonics packaging solutions. You will be the primary architect of our optical interfacing processes, ensuring high performance and exceptional reliability. You will own the entire process, from the collaborative design of the optical and mechanical structures to process implementation and optimization with our contract manufacturing partners.

This is a hands-on technical position requiring a deep understanding of precision optical assembly. You will work closely with our integrated circuit (IC) design, mechanical, and reliability teams to create robust, manufacturable packaging solutions. Your expertise will be vital for pushing the boundaries of fiber-to-chip coupling efficiency, mechanical stability, and long-term product reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Process Design & Development:

• Design and develop robust, high-yield processes for active and passive optical interfaces to photonic integrated circuits (PICs).
• Specialize in using advanced methods to achieve stable and reliable fiber coupling. This includes selecting appropriate materials and controlling critical parameters.
• Collaborate with IC and mechanical design teams to define and create structures that minimize stress, ensure thermal stability, and enhance the overall reliability of the package.

Manufacturing & Collaboration:

• Act as the key technical interface with our contract manufacturing partners, coordinating process design, implementation, and characterization to ensure a smooth transition from development to high-volume production.
• Define and manage critical process controls, alignment tolerances, and metrology methods to ensure consistent, high-performance output in a manufacturing environment.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of assembly and packaging yield data to drive continuous process improvement.

Reliability & Performance:

• Define and implement test methodologies to characterize the reliability of packaged devices under various environmental and mechanical stresses.
• Analyze reliability data to identify potential failure modes and work with design teams to implement corrective actions.
• Utilize your understanding of thermal, modal, and stress/strain principles to predict and mitigate reliability risks associated with packaging.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in packaging design for optical or photonic components.
• Direct experience with PIC optical edge coupling and associated challenges, including proficiency with active and passive alignment techniques.
• Direct product development and introduction experience involving edge coupling.
• In-depth knowledge of packaging materials, including optical adhesives and epoxies, and their design constraints, and how to use them in a high reliability application.
• Proven ability to work with contract manufacturers to design, implement, and ramp packaging processes to volume production.
• A strong understanding of reliability engineering principles, including failure mechanisms related to packaging, and experience with relevant testing standards (e.g., Telcordia).
• Experience with CAD tools for mechanical design and packaging layouts.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with various waveguide technologies and their impact on packaging design.
• Knowledge of semiconductor fabrication processes and their constraints on packaging.
• Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software for stress, thermal, or modal simulations.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a track record of driving complex technical challenges from concept to solution.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across interdisciplinary teams.

nEye is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.