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Principal Engineer, System Validation

Ayar Labs
San Jose, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 1/7/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/5/2026
Location: San Jose (on-site)

We are seeking a System validation expert to spearhead the validation efforts that ensure our groundbreaking products meet and exceed both component and system-level requirements. This pivotal role will drive the transition of our technology from initial release to customer deployment, guaranteeing a seamless and high-performance experience for our clients.

If you are a seasoned validation expert who thrives on solving complex technical problems and is passionate about delivering high-quality products, we invite you to apply and join our team of innovators. Ayar Labs is pushing the boundaries of optical interconnect technology with our revolutionary multi-wavelength sources and CMOS chiplets.

Essential Functions

  • Lead Validation Strategy: Define and implement comprehensive validation methodologies that guarantee our products meet both component and system-level product requirements. This includes developing test plans, defining success criteria, and selecting appropriate test equipment and methodologies.
  • Drive Product Bring-up: Collaborate with Design Engineering to bring up cutting-edge silicon photonic and laser products, troubleshooting and resolving any technical issues that arise.
  • Validate Component and System Performance: Perform rigorous design validation on new chips and products through electrical and optical characterization of VLSI integrated circuits and optoelectronic systems.
  • Drive Continuous Improvement: Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to identify and implement product improvements through Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), bench characterization, and other techniques.
  • Lead New Product Introduction (NPI): Collaborate with Design, Package, and Reliability Engineering to ensure a smooth and successful transition of products from development to mass production.
  • Deliver Customer-Ready Documentation: Author and maintain comprehensive customer-facing validation reports and documentation that clearly communicate product performance and reliability.
  • Make Critical Decisions: Drive decisions around design trade-offs and specification adjustments, balancing performance, manufacturability, and time-to-market to ensure products are ready for customer deployment.
  • Develop Test Software and Infrastructure: Create and maintain software scripts and test hardware stations required for efficient and comprehensive validation.

Basic Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
  • 10 years of experience with component and system test equipment (BERT, DCA, OSA, etc.) and standard signal quality metrics (TDECQ, SRS, URS).
  • 5 years of experience in programming languages (Python, etc.) for test automation and data analysis.
  • Deep understanding of communication protocols and standards (Ethernet, PCIe, etc.).
  • Proven ability to analyze complex technical problems, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions.
  • Understanding of data analysis, process control, and statistical methods.
  • Experience with SoC validation planning, bring-up, debugging, and optimization.
  • Experience with high-speed SerDes and their characterization and optimization.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5 years of hands-on experience in semiconductor laser & photonic device validation.
  • Working knowledge of optical transceiver packaging and integration challenges.
  • Strong project management and communication skills.

Salary range: $180,000 - $230,000

Note To Recruiters

Principals only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.

About Ayar Labs

At Ayar Labs we’re about to revolutionize computing by moving data with light. We’re unleashing processing power for artificial intelligence, high performance computing, cloud and telecommunications by removing the bottlenecks created by today’s electrical I/O -- making it possible to continue scaling computing system performance. Ayar Labs is the first to deliver an optical I/O solution that combines in-package optical I/O chiplets and multi-wavelength remote light sources to replace traditional electrical I/O. This silicon photonics-based I/O solution enables chips to communicate with each other from millimeters to kilometers, to deliver orders of magnitude improvements in latency, bandwidth density, and power consumption.

With our strong collaborations with industry leaders and government, our deep ties to MIT and UC Berkeley, and our commitment to hiring the best engineers in photonics and electronics, joining our team gives you the opportunity to collaborate with renowned experts on challenging, paradigm-shifting work.

We are passionate about delivering in-package optical I/O at scale, leveraging the strength of our patent portfolio and our team of leading interdisciplinary experts. We believe that deep cross-collaboration between teams facilitated by honest, open debate is the best way to drive innovation and achieve big wins. Join our team and experience the possibilities.

Resources

  • Executives from Intel and GLOBALFOUNDRIES share their thoughts on Ayar Labs and the promise of in-package optical I/O ( video )
  • Ayar Labs in the News and Recent announcements
  • LinkedIn and Twitter

Ayar Labs is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.

Salary : $180,000 - $230,000

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