STEM OPT Senior Staff Engineer Jobs
Senior Staff Engineer roles in software, hardware, and systems engineering qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of F-1 work authorization. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and sign a Form I-983 training plan. A STEM-designated degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field is required.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
HyperLight is at the forefront of the commercialization of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integrated photonics — a material and process technology that is enabling high-performance, scalable optical components across AI/datacom infrastructure, hyperscale computing, quantum computing, sensing, and beyond. Founded in 2018 and backed by leading venture capital, we’ve built a team and a platform focused on real-world mass deployment of TFLN photonics technology.
At the core of our work is the TFLN Chiplet™ platform: a modular architecture designed for scalability, manufacturability, and integration into complex systems. We partner with our customers and suppliers from concept and prototyping through mass production. We believe in integrity, innovation, collaboration, and pragmatic solutions, and we take pride in tackling hard problems with curiosity, humility, and a deep sense of care for one another.
TFLN photonic circuits are built on the same design principles as silicon and other platforms, but the material's anisotropic and EO behavior opens up a largely unexplored design space. Our growing team is looking for a Staff or Senior Staff Photonics Design Engineer to lead the design of device components on our platform, with a particular focus on optical interfaces. We welcome strong designers from SOI, III-V, and other platforms. Technical depth matters more to us than prior experience with any one material.
The work spans passive and active devices, simulation and measurement, and close collaboration with process, test, and product teams. People who do well here enjoy that range: they pick up unfamiliar topics quickly, bring ideas over from adjacent fields, and like seeing a design through every stage rather than handing it off.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the design of high-performance, robust device components, including fiber and free-space optical interfaces such as grating couplers and edge couplers, along with splitters, optical taps, crossings, and thermo-optic phase shifters
- Own component design flows end to end: defining requirements with product teams and customers, selecting architectures, simulation, layout, tapeout, measurement, and handoff to production
- Apply optimization-driven and statistical design methods so that components are robust to fabrication variation and hold up at production volumes
- Simulate component designs using tools like Tidy3D, Lumerical, COMSOL, and HFSS, as well as homegrown tools in Python that you will help write
- Develop and perform rigorous measurement techniques to characterize component performance, and analyze measurement and simulation data for performance and robustness
- Collaborate with process engineering to improve our fabrication processes for optimal device performance
- Serve as a technical expert within HyperLight, mentoring other engineers and helping guide our engineering decisions and technical roadmap
REQUIREMENTS
- Either a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant industry experience, or 9+ years of relevant industry experience with a B.S. or M.S.
- Prior ownership of photonic component design flows in foundry processes, with multiple designs taken through tapeout and characterization
- Strong background in advanced design techniques such as optimization-driven design and statistical modeling, including design of experiments
- Strong expertise in simulation of PIC components using tools like Tidy3D, Lumerical, COMSOL, Synopsys OptoDesigner, etc.
- Hands-on experience characterizing photonic integrated circuits using instruments like swept lasers, fiber alignment stages, VNAs, BERTs, oscilloscopes, etc.
- Experience writing software using scripting languages like Python or Julia
- Demonstrated record of innovation and achievement, e.g. product designs, publications, or patents
- Excellent organizational and communication skills, and comfort working with cross-disciplinary teams
Exceptional candidates finishing a Ph.D. with directly relevant design and tapeout experience will also be considered.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Design experience with grating couplers, grating emitters, or other fiber and free-space optical interfaces, including apodized, chirped, or dual-polarization designs
- Familiarity with fabrication processes such as lithography, etch, and deposition, and how they shape device performance
- Experience with photonic layout tools such as Cadence Virtuoso or gdsfactory
- Comfortable with git-based version control
- Experience with active photonic devices such as thermo-optic phase shifters
- Deep design expertise on high-index-contrast platforms such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI), or on TFLN
BENEFITS
- Competitive market-based compensation (Salary range $160,000–$250,000 per year)
- New hire equity/option grant
- Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, vision, and dental plans for individuals and families
- 401(k) retirement plans with employee matching
- Paid parental leave
- Life and disability insurance
- Commuter benefits and subsidies
- Professional growth and mentorship opportunities
LOCATION
This position is onsite at our office in Cambridge, MA. Authorization to work in the United States is required.
HyperLight is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. HyperLight is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during our hiring process. If you need assistance or an accommodation, please contact us at HR@hyperlightcorp.com.
INTRODUCTION
HyperLight is at the forefront of the commercialization of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integrated photonics — a material and process technology that is enabling high-performance, scalable optical components across AI/datacom infrastructure, hyperscale computing, quantum computing, sensing, and beyond. Founded in 2018 and backed by leading venture capital, we’ve built a team and a platform focused on real-world mass deployment of TFLN photonics technology.
At the core of our work is the TFLN Chiplet™ platform: a modular architecture designed for scalability, manufacturability, and integration into complex systems. We partner with our customers and suppliers from concept and prototyping through mass production. We believe in integrity, innovation, collaboration, and pragmatic solutions, and we take pride in tackling hard problems with curiosity, humility, and a deep sense of care for one another.
TFLN photonic circuits are built on the same design principles as silicon and other platforms, but the material's anisotropic and EO behavior opens up a largely unexplored design space. Our growing team is looking for a Staff or Senior Staff Photonics Design Engineer to lead the design of device components on our platform, with a particular focus on optical interfaces. We welcome strong designers from SOI, III-V, and other platforms. Technical depth matters more to us than prior experience with any one material.
The work spans passive and active devices, simulation and measurement, and close collaboration with process, test, and product teams. People who do well here enjoy that range: they pick up unfamiliar topics quickly, bring ideas over from adjacent fields, and like seeing a design through every stage rather than handing it off.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the design of high-performance, robust device components, including fiber and free-space optical interfaces such as grating couplers and edge couplers, along with splitters, optical taps, crossings, and thermo-optic phase shifters
- Own component design flows end to end: defining requirements with product teams and customers, selecting architectures, simulation, layout, tapeout, measurement, and handoff to production
- Apply optimization-driven and statistical design methods so that components are robust to fabrication variation and hold up at production volumes
- Simulate component designs using tools like Tidy3D, Lumerical, COMSOL, and HFSS, as well as homegrown tools in Python that you will help write
- Develop and perform rigorous measurement techniques to characterize component performance, and analyze measurement and simulation data for performance and robustness
- Collaborate with process engineering to improve our fabrication processes for optimal device performance
- Serve as a technical expert within HyperLight, mentoring other engineers and helping guide our engineering decisions and technical roadmap
REQUIREMENTS
- Either a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant industry experience, or 9+ years of relevant industry experience with a B.S. or M.S.
- Prior ownership of photonic component design flows in foundry processes, with multiple designs taken through tapeout and characterization
- Strong background in advanced design techniques such as optimization-driven design and statistical modeling, including design of experiments
- Strong expertise in simulation of PIC components using tools like Tidy3D, Lumerical, COMSOL, Synopsys OptoDesigner, etc.
- Hands-on experience characterizing photonic integrated circuits using instruments like swept lasers, fiber alignment stages, VNAs, BERTs, oscilloscopes, etc.
- Experience writing software using scripting languages like Python or Julia
- Demonstrated record of innovation and achievement, e.g. product designs, publications, or patents
- Excellent organizational and communication skills, and comfort working with cross-disciplinary teams
Exceptional candidates finishing a Ph.D. with directly relevant design and tapeout experience will also be considered.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Design experience with grating couplers, grating emitters, or other fiber and free-space optical interfaces, including apodized, chirped, or dual-polarization designs
- Familiarity with fabrication processes such as lithography, etch, and deposition, and how they shape device performance
- Experience with photonic layout tools such as Cadence Virtuoso or gdsfactory
- Comfortable with git-based version control
- Experience with active photonic devices such as thermo-optic phase shifters
- Deep design expertise on high-index-contrast platforms such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI), or on TFLN
BENEFITS
- Competitive market-based compensation (Salary range $160,000–$250,000 per year)
- New hire equity/option grant
- Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, vision, and dental plans for individuals and families
- 401(k) retirement plans with employee matching
- Paid parental leave
- Life and disability insurance
- Commuter benefits and subsidies
- Professional growth and mentorship opportunities
LOCATION
This position is onsite at our office in Cambridge, MA. Authorization to work in the United States is required.
HyperLight is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. HyperLight is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during our hiring process. If you need assistance or an accommodation, please contact us at HR@hyperlightcorp.com.
See all 1,098+ STEM OPT Senior Staff Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Senior Staff Engineer
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code maps to a STEM-designated field recognized by DHS. Your DSO can confirm this using the official STEM CIP code list, which determines whether your program qualifies for the 24-month extension.
Filter employers by E-Verify enrollment status
STEM OPT requires your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify before you start. Search the E-Verify employer search tool to confirm enrollment before accepting an offer. Companies that aren't enrolled can't legally employ STEM OPT students, regardless of their hiring intent.
Target engineering teams with established OPT pipelines
Senior Staff Engineer roles at companies that regularly recruit from university research programs tend to have HR teams familiar with I-983 training plan requirements. Look for engineering organizations with dedicated university relations or early-career programs as a signal of OPT familiarity.
Negotiate your I-983 training plan before day one
Your Form I-983 must specify learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not just your job description. Discuss the training plan structure with your hiring manager or HR during the offer stage so reporting obligations and mentor assignments are agreed on before you file with your DSO.
Use Migrate Mate to find Senior Staff Engineer roles at E-Verify employers
Migrate Mate filters Senior Staff Engineer listings by employers enrolled in E-Verify, so you're not wasting applications on companies that can't support STEM OPT. Search by engineering discipline to surface roles where your STEM degree is a direct hiring requirement.
Check prevailing wage alignment before signing an offer
Senior Staff Engineer salaries vary significantly by metro area and specialization. Use the OFLC Wage Search to verify that your offered compensation meets the prevailing wage for your SOC code and location, which protects your standing if USCIS reviews your training plan filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Staff Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your STEM degree maps to a DHS-approved CIP code and your job duties are directly related to that field. Senior Staff Engineer roles in software, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering typically qualify. Your DSO confirms eligibility by cross-referencing your degree's CIP code against the official STEM designated degree program list before filing the extension with USCIS.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my STEM OPT employer?
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before your STEM OPT extension begins. This isn't optional. If a company isn't enrolled at the time you start, your employment doesn't qualify under the extension rules, even if you've already filed Form I-983. Confirm enrollment through the E-Verify employer search before signing any offer. Migrate Mate surfaces only E-Verify-enrolled employers in its Senior Staff Engineer listings.
What goes into the Form I-983 training plan for a Senior Staff Engineer?
Form I-983 must document specific learning objectives that connect your day-to-day engineering work to your STEM degree field. Generic job descriptions don't satisfy the requirement. You'll need a named supervisor or mentor, defined goals tied to engineering competencies, and a reporting schedule. Your employer co-signs the form, and your DSO submits it to update your SEVIS record before your extension start date.
How does cap-gap protection work if I'm selected in the H-1B lottery as a Senior Staff Engineer?
If your STEM OPT is active when you're selected in the H-1B lottery with an October 1 start date, cap-gap automatically extends your F-1 work authorization through September 30. You can continue working as a Senior Staff Engineer during this period without any gap in authorization. Your employer doesn't need to take additional steps, but your I-20 should reflect the cap-gap extension from your DSO.
How do I find Senior Staff Engineer jobs where the employer already understands STEM OPT?
Search Migrate Mate for Senior Staff Engineer roles filtered by E-Verify enrollment. Beyond the enrollment check, look for engineering teams at companies that participate in university research partnerships or that consistently appear in DOL Labor Condition Application disclosure data for STEM roles. These signals suggest HR and legal teams already have STEM OPT onboarding processes in place, which reduces delays in getting your I-983 signed.