Staff Hardware Validation Engineer (Silicon Photonics)

Location: Mountain View, California, United States; flexible hybrid workplace model.

Salary: $186,000–$246,000 USD per year, plus equity and other rewards.

Company

hirify.global develops photonics-based AI data center infrastructure, including silicon photonics engines and optical interconnect products for extreme-scale AI and HPC workloads.

What you will do

• Design, develop, and build photonic test systems for product characterization and validation.
• Lead chip bring-up, testing, and validation for next-generation optical interconnect products.
• Develop validation plans aligned with product specifications, xVT, and interoperability testing.
• Configure test benches, set up laboratory equipment, and troubleshoot validation setups.
• Perform electro-optic and link-level testing using industry-standard equipment and practices.
• Collaborate with device, hardware, software, digital, and analog design teams throughout product validation and qualification.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Experience with data communications, including electro-optic link-level testing and characterization in a laboratory environment.
• Familiarity with PCB design, hardware testing, and debugging of electro-optic circuits.
• Hands-on experience with standard bench test equipment for data communications.
• Basic scripting skills for laboratory test automation, result analysis, and report generation.
• Ability to troubleshoot electrical and optical transceiver building blocks and identify root causes of performance gaps.

Nice to have

• PhD in a relevant field.
• Experience with high-speed data communication systems using NRZ and PAM4 signaling.
• Familiarity with IEEE, OIF-CEI, or similar data communication standards.
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or similar scripting tools.
• Experience leading or mentoring junior engineers in laboratory validation and testing workflows.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, technically diverse environment focused on complex engineering challenges.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement savings matching, life insurance, and disability coverage.
• Vacation, sick leave, public holidays, and paid family leave.
• Training and development, commuter benefits, and equity grants for full-time employees.