Engineering Manager Jobs in San Francisco Bay Area, CA

INTRODUCTION

Eliyan is building NuLink, a proprietary die-to-die chiplet interconnect fabric purpose-built for AI infrastructure at hyperscale. As we extend NuLink into optical domains, we are seeking a Director Optical Engineering (DOE) to lead optical engineering execution at Eliyan, owning the hands-on integration of external optical components with Eliyan's silicon die. This is not a component design role — it is an optical integration and implementation role within a semiconductor packaging context. The DOE must be fluent in semiconductor fabrication and assembly processes in order to engage credibly with silicon and process engineering teams and to make sound integration decisions at the intersection of optics and semiconductor manufacturing.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead evaluation, characterization, and qualification of external optical components (VCSELs, PDs, lenses, fiber interfaces) for integration with Eliyan's silicon die.
• Own optical implementation within the package — defining integration schemes, alignment tolerances, and coupling strategies in coordination with packaging and silicon teams.
• Engage directly with process engineers and silicon designers on fabrication feasibility, stack-up decisions, and yield-impacting integration choices.
• Define and execute system demonstrations, including lab bring-up of optically co-packaged silicon and customer-facing demo builds.
• Develop and maintain optical test infrastructure: on-wafer and packaged-device optical probing, E-to-O/O-to-E characterization, link budget validation, BER testing.
• Coordinate closely with OPD on information flow, ensuring engineering execution aligns with product-level requirements.
• Report engineering milestones and integration status to the COA.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years in optical engineering with direct experience in optical integration within semiconductor packaging environments.
• Solid working knowledge of semiconductor fabrication and assembly processes — including FEOL/BEOL fundamentals, wafer-level packaging, and die-attach methods — sufficient to identify process-driven constraints on optical integration.
• Comfortable engaging directly with process engineers and silicon designers on fabrication feasibility, stack-up decisions, and yield-impacting integration choices.
• Experience with process-aware optical design: understanding how fab tolerances, surface topography, and material properties affect optical coupling and alignment.
• Hands-on experience with short-reach optical components (VCSEL arrays, PD arrays, lens assemblies, fiber coupling) and their assembly constraints.
• Strong lab skills: optical probing, frequency-domain characterization, jitter/BER analysis, link budget validation.
• Familiarity with co-packaging assembly processes — alignment tolerances, solder reflow effects on optical coupling, underfill impact on optical paths.
• Experience working with silicon analog/digital teams on joint bring-up and debug.
• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, or related field preferred.

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