Principal Systems Packaging and Assembly Engineer

thrively; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Thrively in Santa Clara, CA, seeks a Principal Systems Packaging & Assembly Engineer to lead advanced semiconductor packaging architectures and assembly processes for MEMS, photonic ICs, ASICs, substrates, and precision interfaces.

You will own package configurations, integration strategies, and assembly development across the lifecycle, collaborating with photonics, MEMS, and product teams to optimize performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Semiconductor Engineering, or related field.
• Extensive experience in semiconductor packaging, advanced assembly, heterogeneous integration, or related technologies.
• Strong understanding of package architecture, design, materials, and assembly process development.
• Experience with advanced packaging technologies such as SiP, flip-chip, wafer-level packaging, 2.5D/3D integration, or multi-die assemblies.
• Hands-on experience developing and optimizing semiconductor assembly processes.
• Proven ability to take packaging technologies from early development through NPI, qualification, and manufacturing.
• Experience working with OSATs, contract manufacturers, equipment vendors, or external manufacturing partners.
• Strong understanding of packaging reliability, failure analysis, process characterization, DOE, and yield improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of advanced packaging architectures integrating MEMS, photonic devices, ASICs, and interconnects.
• Define package configurations, die placement, substrate and interposer requirements, interconnect strategies, material systems, and assembly methodologies.
• Drive heterogeneous integration approaches, including System-in-Package (SiP), multi-die packaging, and 2.5D/3D packaging.
• Collaborate with photonics, MEMS, electrical, mechanical, and product engineering teams to optimize package performance, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Evaluate trade-offs involving thermal management, mechanical stress, alignment stability, interconnect density, package size, and cost.
• Develop, optimize, and qualify semiconductor packaging and assembly processes, including die attach, flip-chip bonding, wire bonding, adhesives, underfill, and precision component assembly.
• Define assembly sequences, process flows, tooling, fixtures, equipment requirements, and manufacturing documentation.
• Lead hands-on engineering development, prototype builds, process characterization, and DOE activities.
• Identify and resolve complex packaging challenges involving materials compatibility, CTE mismatch, warpage, interfacial reliability, and mechanical stability.
• Support the integration of precision optical and electrical interfaces within complex semiconductor assemblies.
• Lead packaging activities through NPI, engineering validation, qualification, and manufacturing readiness.
• Partner with external assembly/test providers, contract manufacturers, and equipment suppliers.
• Develop and transfer robust, repeatable assembly processes into manufacturing environments.
• Establish process controls, acceptance criteria, manufacturing specifications, and yield improvement strategies.
• Drive root-cause investigations and corrective actions for packaging, assembly, and reliability issues.
• Support manufacturing cost optimization, supplier readiness, and transition toward high-volume production.
• Serve as a senior technical authority for package architecture, assembly integration, and packaging process development.
• Work with engineering leadership to establish packaging strategies and technical roadmaps.
• Provide technical direction across multidisciplinary teams and external manufacturing partners.
• Balance innovative engineering with manufacturability, schedule, reliability, and cost.

Skills

Leadership & cross-functional teamwork

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Mechanical Engineering / Electrical Engineering / Materials Science / Semiconductor Engineering

Job description

Thrively is partnering with an exceptionally innovative, well-funded semiconductor technology company developing breakthrough optical networking solutions for next-generation AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.

The Role

We are seeking a Principal Systems Packaging & Assembly Engineer to take a leading technical role in developing advanced semiconductor packaging architectures and assembly processes for a complex, highly integrated optical switching platform.

Reporting to the Director of Packaging, this individual will be responsible for developing and integrating packaging solutions that bring together MEMS devices, photonic ICs, ASICs, substrates, and precision optical, electrical, and mechanical interfaces.

This is a highly technical, hands-on individual contributor position combining package architecture, heterogeneous integration, assembly process development, materials engineering, reliability, and manufacturing execution.

The successful candidate will work across the complete product development lifecycle—from early architecture and prototype builds through design validation, qualification, and transfer to scalable manufacturing.

We are particularly interested in engineers who can operate comfortably at both the system/package architecture level and the detailed assembly process and manufacturing level.

Key Responsibilities

Advanced Package Architecture & Integration

• Lead the design and development of advanced semiconductor packaging architectures integrating MEMS, photonic devices, ASICs, and associated electrical and mechanical components.
• Define package configurations, die placement, substrate and interposer requirements, interconnect strategies, material systems, and assembly methodologies.
• Drive heterogeneous integration approaches, including System-in-Package (SiP), multi-die packaging, and advanced 2.5D/3D packaging where applicable.
• Collaborate with photonics, MEMS, electrical, mechanical, and product engineering teams to optimize package performance, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Evaluate trade-offs involving thermal management, mechanical stress, alignment stability, interconnect density, package size, and cost.

Assembly Process Development

• Develop, optimize, and qualify semiconductor packaging and assembly processes, including die attach, flip-chip bonding, wire bonding, adhesives, underfill, and precision component assembly.
• Define assembly sequences, process flows, tooling, fixtures, equipment requirements, and manufacturing documentation.
• Lead hands-on engineering development, prototype builds, process characterization, and design-of-experiments (DOE) activities.
• Identify and resolve complex packaging challenges involving materials compatibility, CTE mismatch, warpage, interfacial reliability, and mechanical stability.
• Support the integration of precision optical and electrical interfaces within complex semiconductor assemblies.

NPI, Qualification & Manufacturing Scale-Up

• Lead packaging activities through new product introduction (NPI), engineering validation, qualification, and manufacturing readiness.
• Partner closely with external semiconductor assembly and test providers (OSATs), contract manufacturers, and equipment suppliers.
• Develop and transfer robust, repeatable assembly processes into manufacturing environments.
• Establish process controls, acceptance criteria, manufacturing specifications, and yield improvement strategies.
• Drive root-cause investigations and corrective actions for packaging, assembly, and reliability issues.
• Support manufacturing cost optimization, supplier readiness, and the transition toward high-volume production.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as a senior technical authority for package architecture, assembly integration, and packaging process development.
• Work directly with engineering leadership to establish packaging strategies and technical roadmaps.
• Provide technical direction across multidisciplinary teams and external manufacturing partners.
• Balance innovative engineering solutions with practical considerations involving manufacturability, schedule, reliability, and cost.
• Help establish the packaging infrastructure, processes, and best practices needed to support a rapidly scaling semiconductor organization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Semiconductor Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Extensive experience in semiconductor packaging, advanced assembly, heterogeneous integration, or closely related technologies.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor package architecture, design, materials, and assembly process development.
• Demonstrated experience with advanced packaging technologies such as SiP, flip-chip, wafer-level packaging, 2.5D/3D integration, or multi-die assemblies.
• Hands-on experience developing and optimizing semiconductor assembly processes.
• Proven ability to take packaging technologies from early development through NPI, qualification, and manufacturing.
• Experience working with OSATs, contract manufacturers, equipment vendors, or external manufacturing partners.
• Strong understanding of packaging reliability, failure analysis, process characterization, DOE, and yield improvement.
• Ability to lead complex technical initiatives while collaborating across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and technical leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant semiconductor packaging and assembly experience.
• Experience with silicon photonics, optical packaging, photonic integrated circuits, or optical transceiver modules.
• Familiarity with MEMS device packaging and integration.
• Experience with precision optical assembly, fiber attachment, active/passive alignment, or optical interconnects.
• Expertise in advanced bonding technologies, thermal-mechanical design, materials selection, and package reliability.
• Demonstrated success transferring complex packaging technologies from R&D into production environments.
• Experience operating in an early-stage or rapidly scaling semiconductor company.

Why This Opportunity?

Work on a breakthrough technology. Contribute to an advanced optical switching platform addressing fundamental performance and efficiency challenges in next-generation AI infrastructure.

Help shape a new product category. Join an organization developing differentiated technology with the potential to transform data center connectivity.

Own meaningful technical decisions. This is not a narrowly defined process engineering position. You will have substantial influence over package architecture, assembly integration, and manufacturing strategy.

Take innovation into production. Help bridge the gap between groundbreaking semiconductor technology and scalable, commercially viable products.

Collaborate with exceptional engineers. Work alongside highly accomplished specialists in silicon photonics, MEMS, semiconductor devices, and advanced systems engineering.

Make an outsized impact. Join a focused, well-capitalized engineering organization where individual technical contributions directly influence product success.

Location

This position is based in Santa Clara, California, and requires full-time onsite collaboration with the engineering team.