Staff Fiber Optics System Engineer - Milpitas, California, United States
$208,300 USD yearly
Originally posted 1 September 2026 by the employer.
Support the Optical Distribution Network (ODN) design and integration for quantum systems based on silicon photonics.
About the role
The Staff Fiber Optics System Engineer supports the Optical Distribution Network (ODN) design and integration for current and future systems. This includes the design, development, integration, and validation of the fiber network and hardware to support the complex fiber network needed in quantum systems, leveraging silicon photonics.
What you'll do
- Support end-to-end system fiber link architecture connecting subsystems, PICs, and control systems.
- Drive link component designs, working cross-functionally with mechanical and electrical engineers and system technical leads.
- Create detailed fiber designs for complex optical distribution networks, including routing, splice plans, and overall optical I/O.
- Contribute to link budgets and calculations to meet System Architecture requirements for worldline loss.
- Define guidelines for fiber routing, splicing, connectorization, cleanliness, and handling to meet quantum performance thresholds.
- Work with vendors and evaluate advanced fiber optic components, and qualify such components for use in quantum computing applications.
- Perform Python scripting, calling Controls SW APIs / drivers to control lab equipment and proprietary systems.
What you'll need
- M.S. or PhD in Physics, Optical or Electrical Engineering with 5+ years industry experience.
- 5+ years experience designing, validating and testing fiber networks and fiber optical systems.
- Experience in fiber optics, including loss mechanisms, dispersion, nonlinear effects, polarization, and phase stability.
- Experience designing fiber optic systems, fiber networking and working with advanced splice equipment and optimization, fiber handling and routing.
- Experience working with optical test equipment including power meters, optical backscatter reflectometers (OBR), optical spectrum analyzer (OSA).
- Experience working with instrumentation used in the photonics and/or the electronics industry.
- Experience with software controls in Python.
- Experience developing test methods and optimization, tuning algorithms.
- Experience in product lifecycles, transitioning from R&D to product development.
This role has been open 42 days — below the 49-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
950
|
Median days open
49 d
|
Median salary
$156k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | PsiQuantum | All employers we track in this specialty (950 roles · 102 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 19 | 950 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 32 | 6164 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 119 d | 49 d (+70 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $156k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 72 open roles · median 32 d
- KLA Corporation · 64 open roles · median 42 d
- Teradyne · 52 open roles · median 26 d
- NVIDIA · 50 open roles · median 67 d
- Applied Materials · 49 open roles · median 62 d
- AMD · 45 open roles · median 47 d
How we counted: 950 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 102 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 14 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.