Optical System Engineer IV - Santa Clara, CA, United States
$138,000 - $190,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 30 September 2026 by the employer.
This role designs and optimizes fiber coupling optics for photonic chips.
About the role
As an Optical System Engineer IV, you will design, integrate, and optimize complex systems for the semiconductor industry, specifically focusing on fiber coupling optics for photonic chips.
What you'll do
- Utilize optical design software (Zemax) to perform optical simulations and design fiber coupling optics.
- Work with suppliers to determine specifications and optimize performance of fiber coupling optics.
- Design and perform experiments to evaluate performance of individual optical components and fiber coupling performance.
- Provide technical support to mechanical and process engineers to ensure optimal performance under manufacturing conditions.
What you'll need
- Proficiency with Zemax optical design software in both geometric optics and physical optics modules.
- Statistical tolerancing analysis in Zemax.
- Hands-on experience in optical testing setup design, assembly, and alignment.
- Programming skills for instrument control and test automation.
- Data processing and analysis with Python, MATLAB, or other high-level programming languages.
Nice to have
- Experience with fiber coupling designs / fiber attach processes in advanced packaging.
- Knowledge of optical communication standard and pluggable, NPO, CPO technologies.
- Passive and active photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design and layout.
- Familiarity with common semiconductor process flows and foundry PDK.
This role has been open 9 days — well below the 49-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
947
|
Median days open
49 d
|
Median salary
$158k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Applied Materials | All employers we track in this specialty (947 roles · 103 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 50 | 947 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 156 | 6078 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 57 d | 49 d (+8 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $158k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 70 open roles · median 29 d
- KLA Corporation · 59 open roles · median 38 d
- NVIDIA · 52 open roles · median 64 d
- Applied Materials (this employer) · 50 open roles · median 58 d
- Teradyne · 48 open roles · median 22 d
- AMD · 44 open roles · median 62 d
How we counted: 947 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 103 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 10 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 — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.