Principal R&D Laser EPI Design Engineer

Lumentum Operations LLC; Wayne (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off

Health and wellness benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Gym facilities

Free coffee/tea

Employee stock options

Job summary

Lumentum Operations LLC is seeking a highly qualified PhD in optoelectronics for an epitaxial growth-focused role in California. You will work with device designers to craft growth recipes for III/V materials and ensure high-yield wafer processing.

Strong data analysis and cross-functional leadership are essential. Responsibilities include translating designs into EPI recipes, coordinating with internal/external growers, and reviewing calibration data to drive design improvements.

Qualifications

• PhD in optoelectronics or related field with industry experience.
• Hands-on MBE or MOCVD growth of III/V materials; GaAs VCSEL preferred.
• Experience with PL, Reflectance, SIMS, XRD, ECV profiling.
• Knowledge of device physics, laser testing, wafer processing.
• Proficient data analysis in Python/Matlab; strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with device designers to develop epitaxial growth recipes.
• Translate designs into EPI growth recipes and coordinate with growers.
• Review calibration data and feedback to optimize EPI designs.
• Launch process runs with wafer processing and integration teams.
• Analyze wafer processing and reliability data to inform EPI improvements.
• Coordinate analyses (SIMS, TEM, EDX) for performance insights.
• Contribute IP ideas for novel device designs.

Skills

Cross-functional teamwork

Verbal and written communication

Data analysis

Education

PhD in optoelectronics or related major

Tools

Python

Matlab

Excel

JMP

Minitab

Job description

About Lumentum

At Lumentum, we’re building the tech behind the world’s fastest networks and most advanced systems. Our optical and photonic solutions power everything from AI and cloud computing to data centers, telecom, and advanced manufacturing. We’re a global team of innovators working where light meets technology, solving big challenges that keep the world connected and moving forward. If shaping the future of connectivity excites you, you’ll fit right in.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Coordinate with device designers to develop the epitaxial growth recipes needed for the devices to meet the wide range of performance requirements including output power, drive voltage, beam characteristics, wavelength, high-speed operation and reliability
• EPI design includes, but is not limited to, modeling design inputs such as layer thicknesses and compositions, doping profiles, active regions, growth conditions to outputs such as mode profiles, beam divergence and electrical resistance
• EPI designs must align with the wafer processing and device design technology with high yield
• Translate designs into EPI growth recipes and interact with internal EPI growers or manage external vendors to execute the growths
• For each growth campaign review all available calibration and EPI characterization data and feedback to internal or external growers or modify EPI designs as needed
• Work with device designers and wafer process integration teams to launch process runs
• Support NPI team to analyze all critical wafer processing, device testing and reliability data to feedback to EPI design improvements
• Coordinate any special EPI related analysis to understand performance and reliability such as SIMS, TEM, EDX
• Generate key intellectual property (IP) for novel ideas in device design or EPI designs

What We’re Looking For

Education

PhD degree in optoelectronics or other relevant major with industry experience is minimum requirement

Experience

• PhD degree in optoelectronics or other relevant major with industry experience is minimum requirement
• Hands‑on experience with MBE or MOCVD growth of III/V semiconductor material, preferred experience with GaAs based VCSEL devices
• Experience with semiconductor wafer analysis such as photoluminescence (PL), Reflectance spectrum, EPI defects and haze scans, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), SIMS, ECV profiling
• Knowledge of semiconductor device physics, laser diode testing and wafer process technology
• Experience with software data analysis tools (such as Excel, JMP, Minitab) and data processing (Python, Matlab)
• Excellent ability to work in cross-functional teams as both a team leader and a contributor
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with VCSEL devices
• Experience with device modeling and device simulation
• Strong communication skills

Perks You’ll Love

• Flexible time off
• Health and wellness benefits (physical and mental)
• Tuition reimbursement and career growth support
• A workplace built for you: free gym, games room, prayer room
• Subsidized meals, free coffee/tea
• Employee stock options and incentive plans

A collaborative, innovative, and inclusive culture

Join a Team That’s Shaping the Future At Lumentum, we’re more than just a workplace—we’re a launchpad for creativity and innovation. We’re committed to celebrating your unique talents and helping you grow. Our guiding principles—Innovate, Engage, Deliver, Excel, and Win—aren’t just words; they’re the heart of what we do. Let’s Build a Brighter Future Together! We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. Your uniqueness makes us stronger, sparks creativity, and drives our success. Please contact us at [e-mail] to request accommodation. Join us—your future starts here!

Pay Range

Pay Range: P70-USA-1 :$134,750.00 - $192,500.00 Disclaimer: Final base salary for the successful candidate will depend on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job location, where work will be performed, qualifications, work history and relevant experience. With our continual goal of making Lumentum a best place to work for our employees, we strive to offer employees competitive total compensation packages, which may include annual bonus, commission for certain sales roles, equity, and health and welfare benefits. Lumentum is illuminating the networks of tomorrow with advanced photonic technologies that enable AI, data centers, telecom, industrial, and sensing applications. As AI accelerates the global demand for bandwidth and energy efficiency, we deliver the building blocks that keep data moving reliably, efficiently, and at massive scale. Our optical products support AI and compute infrastructure, cloud and DCI environments, metro and long-haul networks, while our lasers drive breakthroughs in precision manufacturing and sensing. For nearly five decades, Lumentum has been at the intersection of light and innovation. What began as a vision with JDS Uniphase to harness the power of photonics has evolved into a global force driving the communication infrastructure of tomorrow. At Lumentum, we’re building more than a business—we’re building a team of passionate innovators whose drive to collaborate, create, and connect the world fuels everything we do. We are part of the AI technology revolution and we are illuminating the path forward. Headquartered in San Jose, California, we operate worldwide through a network of R&D, manufacturing, and sales locations.