Principal Packaging Engineer, Optical Interfaces

thrively; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Thrively seeks a Principal Packaging Engineer, Optical Interfaces to lead next-gen silicon photonics packaging. You will own optical interfacing processes, drive edge-coupled packaging, and coordinate with IC, mechanical, and reliability teams to ensure high coupling efficiency, stability, and manufacturability.

You will partner with contract manufacturers and guide transition from R&D to high-volume production while meeting Telcordia-like reliability expectations for data-center scale systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical/Optical engineering or related field.
• 10+ years hands-on experience in optical/photonic packaging.
• Direct experience with PIC edge coupling and fiber-to-chip interfaces.
• Strong proficiency in active and passive optical alignment and precision assembly.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers to scale packaging to production.
• Knowledge of optical packaging materials and reliability considerations.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of robust optical interfaces to PICs.
• Develop and optimize fiber-to-chip edge-coupling solutions and precision optical assembly.
• Define tolerances and process controls for repeatable, high-performance packaging.
• Collaborate with photonic IC and mechanical design teams to minimize stress and improve reliability.
• Interface with external contract manufacturers to scale packaging processes.
• Lead manufacturing transition from development to volume production.
• Define metrology and acceptance criteria for packaging.
• Evaluate reliability and performance under mechanical/thermal environmental tests.

Skills

10+ years experience

PIC edge coupling

Active/passive optical alignment

Fiber-to-chip interfaces

Optical packaging materials

Contract manufacturer collaboration

Packaging reliability engineering

CAD tools

Lead complex development

Analytical problem solving

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/Ph.D. in Mechanical/Optical/Photonics

Tools

CAD software

FEA software

Job description

Principal Packaging Engineer, Optical Interfaces

About the Opportunity

Thrively is partnering with a well-funded, innovative technology company developing next-generation silicon photonics solutions for high-performance computing and AI infrastructure.

Our client is pioneering advanced optical interconnect technology designed to address critical data movement and connectivity challenges within hyperscale data centers. By combining cutting-edge photonic integration with highly efficient, compact hardware architectures, the company is enabling significant improvements in performance, power efficiency, and scalability for next-generation computing systems.

As the company advances its technology toward commercial production, it is expanding its engineering organization with experienced technical leaders who can help translate innovative designs into robust, reliable, and scalable products.

This is an opportunity to join a highly accomplished, multidisciplinary engineering team at a pivotal stage of product development, with significant technical ownership and the ability to directly influence product architecture and manufacturing strategy.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Principal Packaging Engineer, Optical Interfaces to lead the development of next-generation silicon photonics packaging solutions.

This individual will serve as the primary technical architect and owner of optical interfacing processes, ensuring exceptional optical performance, manufacturability, and long-term reliability.

The role encompasses the full development lifecycle, from collaborative design of optical and mechanical structures through process development, characterization, optimization, and implementation with contract manufacturing partners.

This is a hands-on technical leadership position requiring deep expertise in precision optical assembly, particularly photonic integrated circuit (PIC) edge coupling, fiber-to-chip optical interfaces, and active/passive alignment technologies.

Working closely with photonic IC design, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and reliability teams, the successful candidate will develop robust packaging solutions that optimize coupling efficiency, mechanical stability, thermal performance, and long-term product reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Optical Interface & Process Development

• Lead the design and development of robust, high-yield assembly and packaging processes for active and passive optical interfaces to photonic integrated circuits (PICs).
• Develop and optimize fiber-to-chip edge-coupling solutions, including optical alignment methods, fiber attachment processes, and precision optical assembly techniques.
• Establish processes that achieve high optical coupling efficiency while maintaining mechanical stability and long-term reliability.
• Select and characterize optical packaging materials, including adhesives, epoxies, and structural materials, with consideration for optical performance, thermal expansion, stress, and environmental stability.
• Collaborate with photonic IC and mechanical design teams to define package structures and optical interfaces that minimize mechanical stress, maintain alignment stability, and improve overall reliability.
• Define critical alignment tolerances, assembly parameters, and process controls necessary for repeatable, high-performance optical packaging.

Manufacturing & Process Industrialization

• Serve as the primary technical interface with external contract manufacturing partners, coordinating packaging process design, implementation, characterization, and optimization.
• Lead the transition of optical packaging processes from development and prototype builds through manufacturing introduction and volume production.
• Establish manufacturing process controls, metrology methodologies, and acceptance criteria to ensure consistent product performance and yield.
• Analyze assembly and packaging yield data, identify process limitations, and implement improvements to increase manufacturing robustness and scalability.
• Partner with internal engineering teams and external manufacturing organizations to resolve complex process integration and manufacturability challenges.

Reliability & Performance Engineering

• Define and implement testing methodologies to evaluate the mechanical, thermal, environmental, and optical reliability of packaged photonic devices.
• Investigate packaging-related failure mechanisms, including optical misalignment, adhesive degradation, thermomechanical stress, and material compatibility.
• Analyze reliability and characterization data to identify root causes and implement corrective design or process improvements.
• Apply principles of thermal behavior, mechanical stress/strain, and modal analysis to predict and mitigate packaging reliability risks.
• Ensure packaging designs and processes meet applicable industry reliability requirements, including relevant Telcordia standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, Photonics, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in the design, development, and manufacturing of optical or photonic component packaging.
• Direct, demonstrated experience with PIC optical edge coupling, including the technical challenges associated with fiber-to-chip interfaces.
• Strong proficiency in active and passive optical alignment techniques, precision optical assembly, and fiber attachment processes.
• Direct product development and new product introduction experience involving edge-coupled optical packaging solutions.
• In-depth knowledge of optical packaging materials, particularly optical adhesives and epoxies, including their performance limitations, design constraints, and use in high-reliability applications.
• Proven experience collaborating with contract manufacturers to develop, implement, optimize, and scale packaging processes into volume production.
• Strong understanding of packaging reliability engineering, associated failure mechanisms, and relevant qualification and testing standards, such as Telcordia.
• Experience using CAD tools for mechanical design, optical packaging structures, and assembly layouts.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex technical development efforts and drive engineering challenges through resolution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with various optical waveguide technologies and their implications for optical packaging and coupling design.
• Knowledge of semiconductor fabrication processes and their associated design and packaging constraints.
• Experience using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software for thermal, mechanical stress, strain, or modal simulations.
• Experience optimizing optical packaging designs for manufacturability, yield, and high-volume production.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a demonstrated record of translating complex technical requirements into practical engineering solutions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams and external manufacturing partners.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Innovative Technology: Contribute to the development of advanced silicon photonics technology addressing critical challenges in AI infrastructure and next-generation data centers.
• Significant Technical Ownership: Serve as the primary architect of optical interface packaging processes, with direct influence over design, materials, manufacturing strategy, and product reliability.
• High-Impact Engineering: Work on challenging precision optical packaging problems where coupling efficiency, alignment stability, and manufacturability are fundamental to product success.
• From Development to Production: Play a central role in transitioning next-generation photonic hardware from advanced development into scalable commercial manufacturing.
• Collaborative Technical Environment: Work alongside experienced specialists in photonics, mechanical engineering, semiconductor technology, and reliability engineering.
• Growth-Stage Opportunity: Join a well-funded technology company at an exciting stage of engineering development and organizational growth.