Senior Optical Product Engineer (AI)

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States; remote work is listed for the U.S.

Salary: $200,000–$250,000 per year

Company

hirify.global is partnering with a well-funded, VC-backed AI networking hardware startup developing customized networking hardware, software, and optics solutions for hyperscale AI workloads.

What you will do

• Lead qualification, reliability, and manufacturing-readiness activities for high-speed optical transceivers, fiber-optic assemblies, and cable solutions.
• Develop and execute validation plans for long-term optical performance and field reliability.
• Define inspection, cleaning, assembly, and handling processes for optical components across internal and contract manufacturing environments.
• Partner with hardware, manufacturing, quality, and supplier teams to establish optics integration and deployment practices.
• Evaluate and qualify optics and cable suppliers, supporting supplier selection and manufacturing capability assessments.
• Investigate failure modes, implement corrective actions, and evaluate emerging interconnect technologies for future product roadmaps.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering, optical engineering, physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in optical product engineering, optical NPI, manufacturing engineering, reliability engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with high-speed networking optics and cable technologies, including 400G+ optical transceivers and interconnect systems.
• Strong knowledge of optical component manufacturing, qualification methodologies, and reliability testing.
• Experience developing qualification plans, reliability test strategies, and failure-analysis methodologies for optics or cable products.
• Experience working with suppliers and contract manufacturers to improve product quality and manufacturing readiness.

Nice to have

• Experience with automated optical inspection systems, BERT testing, and optical validation tools.
• Familiarity with cleanroom processes and fiber-handling best practices.
• Experience with co-packaged optics, active copper solutions, and advanced optical architectures.
• Knowledge of industry standards and qualification frameworks for high-speed optical networking products.