Foundry Applications Engineer - Santa Clara, United States
$151,200 - $189,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 31 March 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As a Foundry Applications Engineer focusing on Design Enablement, you will support foundry customers designing RF components and high-speed optical interconnects for data center connectivity. The role serves as the technical bridge for customers developing RF components for 1.6T, 3.2T, and higher data rate optical engines using ST's SiGe BiCMOS and advanced packaging technologies.
What you'll do
- Provide training and onboarding to ramp up foundry customers' design teams on ST process platforms. - Deliver technical support for customer questions and issues regarding ST PDK and IP/library deliveries across simulation, layout, extraction, and reliability. - Enhance PDK documentation, develop application notes, and compile best practices for customer and internal teams. - Lead regular technical calls with customer and internal teams to support program execution from inception through tape-out, engineering samples, and production ramp-up. - Participate in the definition of photonic/electronic reference designs and proof-of-concept board/system builds. - Track advancements in semiconductor and photonics technology to incorporate best practices into PDK, IP, and library development.
What you'll need
- BSEE with 10+ years of experience in design, process development, or applications engineering. - Product development or applications expertise in high-speed optics (100G/200G+ per-lane electrical interfaces, TIAs, and drivers), SiGe BiCMOS processes (SiGe HBT physics for ultra-high-speed signaling), or high-speed RF (cellular or satellite RF front-end ICs, beam former ICs, RADAR, or other RF components). - Working knowledge of data center architectures, interconnect technologies, and optical transceivers.
Skills: foundry applications, design enablement, RF components, high-speed optical interconnects, PDK
This role has been open 141 days — well above the 78-day median for Applications FAE roles.
Applications FAE · Photonics
|
Open roles in category
27
|
Median days open
78 d
|
Median salary
$164k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | STMicroelectronics | All employers we track in this specialty (27 roles · 14 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 27 |
| Median days open | 137 d | 78 d (+59 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $164k |
Skills observed across this category: foundry applications, design enablement, RF components, high-speed optical interconnects, PDK
Who's hiring in this category
- FormFactor · 5 open roles · median 33 d
- Keysight Technologies · 4 open roles · median 76 d
- Lumentum · 3 open roles · median 71 d
- STMicroelectronics (this employer) · 3 open roles · median 137 d
- Teradyne · 3 open roles · median 36 d
- Analog Devices · 1 open role · median 170 d
How we counted: 27 open Applications FAE (Photonics) roles from 14 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 24 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there. Figures refresh nightly.