POSITION: Principal Optical Interconnect Engineer
REPORTING TO: Senior Director, Advanced Technology
LOCATION: Dallas, TX. (remote)
GENERAL FUNCTION: The Principal Optical Interconnect Engineer is responsible for defining system-level architecture, advising multidisciplinary teams, and guiding technical decisions spanning epitaxy, device physics, packaging, ASIC design engineering, and optical transceiver and co-packaged optics (CPO) solutions. This role is focused on optical link architecture, compound semiconductor photonics, high-speed signal integrity, electro-optical systems integration, and next-generation optical I/O technologies.
JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Define end-to-end optical interconnect system architecture targeting multi-terabit optical I/O.
- Architect parallel-channel optical engine designs that exploit the spatial parallelism of emitter arrays to achieve aggregate bandwidth targets independently of per-lane rate constraints — a fundamentally different scaling strategy from conventional laser-based links.
- Benchmark MicroLED solutions against competing technologies (VCSEL, EML, silicon photonics) across power, bandwidth, reach, manufacturability, link margin, cost, and reliability metrics.
- Serve as the senior technical advisor on optical link design, including modulation schemes, equalization strategy, dispersion management, receiver sensitivity, and driver/TIA architecture.
- Develop system models including per-lane link budgets, array-level parallelism scaling, optical coupling efficiency analysis, signal integrity, and long-term margin projections as lane rates scale.
- Advise ASIC teams regarding high-speed driver and TIA IC development, optical-electrical partitioning, and equalization requirements
- Define and oversee electro-optical characterization protocols appropriate to the development stage, including bandwidth, efficiency, and thermal characterization of emitter arrays and integrated modules.
- Assess system-level integration for transceiver technology, including optical coupling efficiency, transmitting power requirements, thermal dissipation, and reliability in deployed environments.
- Partner with photonic device and packaging teams to translate system requirements into component-level specifications for MicroLED, modulators, detectors, and optical subassemblies.
- Advise packaging teams on photonics packaging, flip-chip integration, fiber attach, micro-optic alignment, manufacturability, and thermal management for high-density optical deployments.
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- REQUIRED: Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. As a defense contractor Kopin is subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and you must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident (green card holder) to be considered for this position.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Physics, or a closely related field.
- 10+ years of technical experience in optical communications, optical interconnect, or high-speed electro-optics; hands-on expertise in data center transceiver or CPO development.
- Expertise in optical link budget analysis, high-speed electro-optics, and transceiver systems across multiple form factors (QSFP-DD, OSFP, CPO, LPO).
- Demonstrated experience with high-speed optical emitters and detectors such as VCSELs, EMLs, DFB lasers, APD’s, and PIN photodiodes.
- Working knowledge of NRZ and PAM4 modulation, FEC schemes (KP4, CFEC), and DSP architecture
- Experience with photonic integration platforms (silicon photonics, InP, GaAs) and their tradeoffs at the system level.
- Proven track record of architecting and evaluating optical transceiver or photonic systems from feasibility analysis through production, including qualification and deployment.
PREFERRED JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Experience with co-packaged optics (CPO) or linear-drive pluggable (LPO) architectures and next-generation AI cluster interconnect topologies.
- Understanding of optical packaging requirements including fiber coupling, alignment, and thermal reliability.
- Familiarity with WDM techniques (CWDM4, FR4, LR4) and their applicability to data center intra- and inter-rack interconnects.
- Experience participating in or working with IEEE 802.3, OIF, COBO, or related optical interconnect standards.
- Prior experience at a hyperscaler, optical module vendor, photonic IC company, or systems integrator.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Able to rotate from sitting to standing, lift 20 pounds, and gown according to clean room protocol when required.
**This position can work a 4 ten hour day or 5 eight hour days per week schedule. Must be in easy commuting distance to Dallas for regular meetings with Texas team (all work remote in Dallas area)**
Kopin Corporation is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and as such all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class. If an applicant needs a reasonable accommodation due to a disability with the application process, there is additional information on our website at www.kopin.com/careers.
To apply please send your resume to: Jobs@Kopin.com