Senior Optical Transceiver R&D Engineer

Description

HyperLight is at the forefront of the commercialization of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integrated photonics - a material and process technology that is enabling high-performance, scalable optical components across AI/datacom infrastructure, hyperscale computing, quantum computing, sensing, and beyond. Founded in 2018 and backed by leading venture capital, we’ve built a team and a platform focused on real-world mass deployment of TFLN photonics technology.

Our growing team is looking for a hands-on Transceiver R&D Engineer to own the design, characterization, and qualification of advanced optical transceiver reference designs. You'll work across firmware, DSP, optics, and hardware to ensure our QSFP/OSFP-based transceivers meet performance and interoperability requirements.

As part of your responsibilities, you will be:

• Define and execute test plans for optical transceivers (IMDD and/or coherent)

• Characterize transceiver performance for >1.6T modules — BER, eye diagrams, SNR, OSNR, TDECQ, OER, OMA, receiver sensitivity, latency, and more

• Validate TFLN modulator-based transceivers across electrical, optical, and thermal domains

• Bring up and debug QSFP/OSFP transceiver modules

• Collaborate with firmware and DSP teams to tune system performance

• Support compliance testing (IEEE, OIF, CMIS)
• Analyze failures, drive root-cause resolution, and recommend design improvements
  

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field

• 5 to 12+ years of relevant experience in high-speed optical transceiver testing and/or design (>400 Gbps)

• Experience with Datacom and/or Telecom transceivers

• Hands-on experience with QSFP and OSFP form factors

• Solid understanding of PAM4, TDECQ, BER, OSNR, jitter, eye diagrams, and receiver sensitivity

• Proficiency with lab equipment — oscilloscope, DCA, BERT, OSA, VNA, etc.

• Strong debugging skills and a methodical approach to troubleshooting

• Clear communicator, able to articulate issues and solutions across teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with TFLN, silicon photonics, or other advanced modulator technologies

• Familiarity with PAM4, coherent detection, and DSP-based systems

• Experience with thermal and reliability testing

• Experience building semi-automated test systems

• Familiarity with the OSFP/QSFP MSA specifications

Key Skills

• Circuit design & characterization

• Signal integrity (electrical + optical)

• Debugging & product bring-up

• Data analysis

• Cross-functional collaboration

What Success Looks Like

• Transceivers brought up and validated to meet spec under real-world conditions

• Issues identified and resolved early, with clear root-cause analysis and improvement plans

• Customers empowered to optimize performance on our modules

• Measurable performance gains delivered for 1.6T+ systems

Benefits

• Competitive market-based compensation and benefits

• Professional growth and mentorship opportunities