Principal Thermal Mechanical Photonic Designer

NVIDIA Gruppe; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 232,000 - 368,000; Full time

Job summary

NVIDIA Gruppe is seeking a Principal Thermal Mechanical Photonic Designer based in Santa Clara, California. You will be responsible for the thermal and structural design of silicon photonic designs, running stress simulations, and supporting optical engineering efforts.

The ideal candidate will hold a PhD and have over 15 years of relevant experience, including hands-on work with silicon photonics products. Compensation ranges from $232K to $368K based on experience, alongside equity and benefits.

The role emphasizes collaboration in a diverse team environment and is open until at least April 25, 2026.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in the development of silicon photonics ICs.
• Hands-on experience with Silicon Photonics products.

Responsibilities

• Work on Thermal and Structural design of Silicon Photonic designs.
• Run stress simulation in optical components.
• Set up experimental methodology for thermal validation.

Skills

Silicon photonics product development

Thermal and structural design

Stress simulation

Ansys tools

Opto-mechanical system design

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or similar discipline

Tools

Ansys

Job description

We are now looking for a Principal Thermal Mechanical Photonic Designer. We are part of the global circuits team at NVIDIA that craft the state-of-the-art GPUs for all applications such as supercomputers, gaming consoles and self-driving cars. Come join us in our mission to Engineer the next generation of outstanding products. Teams are dedicated to the architecture and design of CMOS and Silicon-Photonics high-speed chip interfaces (NVLink, IEEE, PCIE, USB, OIF) and other sophisticated photonic functions. Strong hands‑on lab experience with silicon evaluation, debugging, characterization, and bring up.

Responsibilities

• Work on Thermal and Structural design of Silicon Photonic designs
• Run stress simulation in optical components and fiber alignment and propose improved design of optical components
• Set up experimental methodology for thermal validation and laser performance under different stress conditions
• Model Si die‑package thermo‑mechanical interactions
• Solder joint fatigue and creep modeling
• Support the optical engineering and system engineering leads with the opto‑mechanical system design
• Die‑package thermo‑mechanical interactions in electronic packages for predicting failures during various assembly and reliability tests to recommend design, process or material changes
• Hygroscopic stresses in electronic packages due to moisture diffusion
• Crack propagation and interfacial delamination
• Multifaceted simulation of wire‑bonding and wire fusing process
• Thermal characterization of electronic packages (crafting thermal specification datasheets based on FE and experiments according to JEDEC standards)
• Solder joint fatigue and creep modeling

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a similar discipline (or equivalent experience) with 15+ years of experience in a related field
• 8+ years of experience in the development of silicon photonics ICs from concept to high‑volume manufacturing
• Experience in product development of optics or photonic systems
• Experience in applied research on Silicon Photonic ICs and Systems
• Hands‑on experience with Silicon Photonics products
• Proficient in Ansys tools
• Background with design tools and fixtures to aid in alignment, fabrication, gluing, and assembly of lasers, interferometers, and optical components
• Experience working, communicating, and collaborating in a cross‑functional team environment
• Experience defining system performance and component specifications
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Self‑motivated and self‑directed individual, with little supervision vital

Compensation and Benefits

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 232,000 USD - 368,000 USD. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Application Deadline

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until April 25, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy. NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.