Staff High-Power Laser Assembly Development Engineer

Nokia; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Corporate Retirement Savings Plan

Health and dental benefits

Short-term and long-term disability

Life insurance and AD&D

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Tuition Assistance Plan

Adoption assistance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Nokia is seeking a Staff High-Power Laser Assembly Development Engineer in Sunnyvale to lead design and development of assembly processes for InP and GaAs lasers. You will drive reliability, cost, and manufacturability through advanced tooling, automation, and cross-functional collaboration across design, process, manufacturing, and quality teams.

You will mentor engineers, oversee qualification, and guide products from concept through high-volume manufacturing while advancing assembly

Qualifications

• Advanced degree required (MS or PhD) in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of industry experience in semiconductor laser packaging or assembly development.
• Proven expertise in assembly design and process development for high-power InP and GaAs lasers.
• Deep understanding of material interactions, die attach, mechanical stress, thermal management, and their impact on laser performance.
• Hands-on experience with tooling, automation, characterization, process development, and failure analysis.
• Experience performing or interpreting die attach stress simulations and related modeling.
• Track record of product development leading to qualification and volume production.
• Knowledge of manufacturing quality systems and reliability standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of assembly designs and manufacturing processes for high-power InP and GaAs laser products.
• Drive process innovation to meet performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability targets.
• Analyze interactions between materials, die attach, stress, thermal performance, and laser characteristics.
• Develop and implement assembly tooling, automation, and characterization methodologies.
• Perform die attach stress simulations and correlate results with product data.
• Lead failure analysis investigations and implement corrective actions to improve yield.
• Support product qualification activities and establish manufacturing quality controls.
• Drive transition of new products from development to volume manufacturing.
• Mentor engineers and grow assembly and packaging expertise within the organization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address technical challenges and accelerate development.

Skills

Laser packaging

Assembly design

Process development

Die attach

Thermal management

Mechanical stress analysis

Reliability standards

Failure analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering

MS or PhD in Materials Engineering

MS or PhD in Physics

MS or PhD in Photonics

Tools

Assembly tooling

Automation systems

Characterization techniques

Die attach simulations

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking a highly experienced Staff High-Power Laser Assembly Development Engineer to lead the development, optimization, and industrialization of advanced assembly processes for high-power semiconductor laser products. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing robust assembly solutions for InP and GaAs-based laser technologies, driving products from concept through qualification and high-volume manufacturing.

This position requires deep expertise in laser packaging and assembly, process development, automation, materials interactions, reliability, and production scaling. The role involves close collaboration with design, process, manufacturing, quality, and reliability teams to deliver industry-leading optical products.

How You Will Contribute And What You Will Learn

• Lead the development of assembly designs and manufacturing processes for high-power InP and GaAs laser products.
• Drive process innovation and optimization to achieve performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability targets.
• Analyze and optimize interactions between assembly materials, die attach processes, mechanical stress, thermal performance, and laser operating characteristics.
• Develop, evaluate, and implement assembly tooling, automation solutions, and characterization methodologies.
• Perform and interpret die attach stress simulations and correlate results with product performance and reliability data.
• Lead failure analysis investigations and implement corrective actions to improve product robustness and yield.
• Support product qualification activities and establish manufacturing quality standards, process controls, and validation methods.
• Drive the transition of new products from development into volume manufacturing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to address technical challenges and accelerate product development.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to the growth of assembly and packaging expertise within the organization.

Key Skills And Experience

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD preferred) in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of industry experience in semiconductor laser packaging, assembly development, or a closely related field.
• Proven expertise in assembly design and process development for high-power InP and/or GaAs laser products.
• Deep understanding of material interactions, die attach processes, mechanical stress mechanisms, thermal management, stability, and their impact on laser performance.
• Hands-on experience with assembly tooling, automation systems, characterization techniques, manufacturing process development, and failure analysis methodologies.
• Experience performing or interpreting die attach stress simulations and related modeling activities.
• Demonstrated track record of successful product development leading to qualification, volume production, manufacturing scale-up, and automation.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing quality systems, process controls, and reliability standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting high-volume optical component manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of semiconductor packaging reliability testing and qualification methodologies.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis and process improvement methodologies.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary photonics or optical networking organizations.

What We Are Looking For

• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across global teams.
• Self-motivated individual with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Proven ability to solve complex technical problems and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for innovation and continuous improvement.

About Us

Advancing connectivity to secure a brighter world.

Nokia is a global leader in connectivity for the AI era. With expertise across fixed, mobile and transport networks, powered by the innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we’re advancing connectivity to secure a brighter world.

Our recruitment process

We act inclusively and respect the uniqueness of people. Our employment decisions are made regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. We are committed to a culture of inclusion built upon our core value of respect.

If you’re interested in this role but don’t meet every listed requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences enrich our teams, and you may be just the right candidate for this or another opportunity.

The length of the recruitment process may vary depending on the specific role's requirements. We strive to ensure a smooth and inclusive experience for all candidates.

About The Team

Some of our benefits in US :

• Corporate Retirement Savings Plan
• Health and dental benefits
• Short-term disability, and long-term disability
• Life insurance, and AD&D – Company paid 2x base pay
• Optional or Supplemental life and AD&D insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)
• Paid time off for holidays and Vacation
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Assistance Plan
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Assistance Program/Work Life Resource Program

The above benefits exclude students.

Disclaimer for US/Canada

Nokia Maintains broad annual base salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience and market conditions, and with consideration to internal peer equity. Check the salary ranges in the job info section for this role.

All North America job posts will post for a minimum of 7 calendar days and up to 180 days or until candidate/s identified.