Digital Design & SoC Architecture
AI/ML Hardware
About the role
This role involves integrating and validating optical subsystems to ensure product performance from an optical standpoint.
What you'll do
- Build, align, and characterize optical laboratory setups and optical subsystems.
- Support testing and validation of optical components and subsystems including lenses, windows, mirrors, lasers, and detectors.
- Perform optical alignment tasks including free-space alignment, beam collimation, focusing, and optimization of optical paths.
- Develop Python scripts for instrument control, test automation, data processing, visualization, and analysis.
- Support optical subsystem bring-up, integration, validation, and troubleshooting.
- Perform measurements and characterization of optical performance, including beam profile, M², and wavefront error (WFE).
What you'll need
- A B.S. or M.S. in Optical/Photonics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related engineering field.
- Strong understanding of optical fundamentals, including geometric optics, lenses, imaging, Gaussian beams, and diffraction.
- Demonstrated hands-on technical aptitude through laboratory coursework, research, internships, or engineering projects.
- Experience with Free-space optical alignment, Lenses and opto-mechanical components, Laser alignment, Photodetectors, and optical power measurements.
- Working knowledge of Python for scientific computing, data analysis, or laboratory automation.
- Ability to analyze experimental data, identify trends or anomalies, and develop hypotheses based on measurement results.
Nice to have
- Python libraries such as NumPy, SciPy, pandas, and Matplotlib.
- Automated test equipment and instrument communication/control.
- Passive or active integrated photonics testing.
- Basic analog/digital electronics and ability to interpret circuit schematics or system block diagrams.
- Optical simulation or design tools such as Zemax OpticStudio, Code V, or similar software.
- FPGA or SoC-based hardware platforms.
More semiconductor jobs: Hardware design jobs · Sunnyvale jobs
Market context
This role has been open 66 days — well above the 46-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
1126
|
Median days open
46 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$150k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Lyte AI | All employers we track in this specialty (1126 roles · 109 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 8 | 1126 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 23 | 6531 · 156 employers |
| Median days open | 57 d | 46 d (+11 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $150k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 88 open roles · median 33 d
- KLA Corporation · 66 open roles · median 59 d
- Applied Materials · 60 open roles · median 40 d
- ASML · 59 open roles · median 17 d
- NVIDIA · 58 open roles · median 74 d
- Teradyne · 58 open roles · median 51 d
How we counted: 1126 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 109 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 8 Nov 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.