Principal Field Application Engineer (Optical Connectivity)

Location: San Jose, California, USA; hybrid work

Salary: $180,000–$200,000 per year

Company

hirify.global develops high-performance analog ICs for high-speed optical and copper interconnects used in data center infrastructure.

What you will do

• Drive design wins for high-speed drivers, TIAs, copper redrivers, and related connectivity products.
• Lead customer co-development initiatives for 1.6T and 3.2T+ connectivity with hyperscaler engineering teams.
• Accelerate design-in cycles by removing technical barriers and leading technical evaluations.
• Provide pre-sales and post-sales support, troubleshooting, and guidance on hardware design, PCB layout, signal integrity, firmware integration, and system validation.
• Support customer qualification with equipment manufacturers, network operators, and cloud service providers.
• Influence product roadmaps and R&D priorities through customer insights and market intelligence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field; a master’s degree or Ph.D. is preferred.
• At least 8 years of FAE experience with expert-level technical capability and strategic customer engagement.
• Expertise in signal integrity, modulation schemes, channel modeling, and equalization for 800G, 1.6T, and 3.2T applications.
• Knowledge of optical transceiver architecture, design, validation, manufacturing, and LPO, LRO, and CPO architectures.
• Experience with high-speed PCB design, impedance control, signal integrity validation, and test equipment including network analyzers, BER testers, and oscilloscopes.
• Understanding of IEEE 802.3 and OIF standards, hyperscaler data center architectures, and customer co-development projects.

Nice to have

• Direct experience with laser or modulator drivers, TIAs, redrivers, or DSPs.
• Participation in IEEE 802.3 or OIF standards activities related to 1.6T and 3.2T specifications.
• Experience at a hyperscaler operator, optical module vendor, or data center equipment manufacturer.
• Established relationships with Tier 1 hyperscaler engineering teams and Bay Area ecosystem partners.

Culture & Benefits

• Work across product management, engineering, marketing, sales, and operations.
• Operate autonomously and influence without formal authority in complex technical and business situations.
• Build strategic relationships with Tier 1 hyperscaler customers and participate in confidential customer design environments.
• EEO employer with a drug-free workplace.