Product Manager - CPO External Lightsources (ELS)

Ayar Labs, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 223,000; Full time

Job summary

Ayar Labs in San Jose, CA is seeking a Product Line Manager (External Lightsources) to own the commercial and technical success of external laser sources powering optical I/O engines.

You will bridge advanced photonics engineering with hyperscale data-center demands, defining and scaling Ayar Labs’ strategy for external laser sources and driving market success.

The role requires shaping product strategy, price-to-value, and cross-functional leadership with engineering, QA, operations, and sales.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in Product Management or Technical Marketing within semiconductor or optical communications.
• Experience with laser technologies and the design, manufacturing and go-to-market for pluggable optical modules.
• Direct experience with ELSFP, CMIS or similar standards preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the Product Line strategy for the SuperNova laser sources.
• Define and position Ayar Labs’ strategy for external laser sources powering optical scale-up architectures.
• Develop PRDs and guide engineering and manufacturing execution.
• Create high quality white papers, datasheets and collateral for customers and partners.
• Engage Tier 1 CSPs, xPU architects and networking OEMs on laser reliability and deployment.

Skills

Product Management

Technical Marketing

Laser technologies

Go-to-market

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering

Bachelors in Physics

Bachelors in Optics

Tools

CMIS standards

ELSFP standards

Job description

Product Manager – CPO External Lightsources (ELS)

Location: San Jose (on-site)

Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models.

Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD, Mediatek and Intel, and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures.

We are looking for a visionary Product Line Manager to drive our External Lightsource portfolio to market success.

The Role

As the PLM for External Laser Sources, you own the commercial and technical success of the laser modules that enable our optical I/O engines. You will bridge the gap between advanced photonics engineering and the rigorous demands of hyperscale data centers. Your mission is to define, position, and scale Ayar Labs’ strategy for external laser sources powering optical scale-up architectures.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Roadmap: Own the Product Line strategy for the SuperNovaTM laser sources. Author comprehensive PRDs that set the direction for engineering and manufacturing execution.
• Competitive analysis and benchmarking : Develop a detailed analysis of different laser source technologies and suppliers. Help drive the supplier selection strategy in partnership with Engineering and Operations.
• Technical Marketing: Develop high quality white papers, datasheets, application notes and other collateral aimed at customers and partners. Work with ecosystem partners and MSA groups to ensure industry-wide interoperability.
• Product Operations: Lead the lightsource products through the internal PLC (Product Life Cycle) gate process. Collaborate widely with Engineering, Quality, Operations and other functions to ensure high-volume manufacturing readiness.
• Customer Engagement: Act as the primary interface for Tier 1 Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), xPU architects and networking OEMs regarding laser reliability and deployment.

Required Skills

• 5+ years in Product Management or Technical Marketing within the semiconductor or optical communications industry.
• Expertise with laser technologies and the design, manufacturing and go-to-market for pluggable optical modules.
• Direct experience with ELSFP, CMIS or similar standards is highly preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics or Optics.
• Strong project management and communication skills. Self motivated to execute with minimal direction.

Preferred Skills

• MBA
• Experience with silicon photonics, and the requirements of hyperscale datacenter GPU and switch customers.

Salary range: $170,000 - $223,000

Ayar Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.