Photonics Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
California is one of the most active states for photonics engineer visa sponsorship, driven by defense contractors, semiconductor firms, and laser technology companies concentrated in Silicon Valley, San Diego, and the Los Angeles basin. Major employers including II-VI Incorporated, Lumentum, Coherent, and UCSB-affiliated startups regularly file Labor Condition Applications for photonics roles.
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Get Access To All JobsPrimary Duties & Responsibilities
The themes below are examples of early focus areas. They may evolve with CTO Office priorities and future Coherent needs.
- Advanced light sources for silicon photonics: evaluate source architectures such as quantum-dot DFB lasers, PIC-enhanced approaches, and comb-based sources against power, wavelength control, integration, reliability, packaging, manufacturability, and platform fit.
- Heterogeneous integration for active silicon photonics: explore integration approaches for lasers, amplifiers, pumps, modulators, and related active building blocks, with attention to process compatibility, yield, thermal behavior, reliability, and scalability.
- Energy-efficient optical I/O: develop architecture options for high-density, short-reach optical links relevant to memory-adjacent, scale-up, and disaggregated-compute use cases; compare parallel-emitter arrays, silicon photonics, and emerging emitter/receiver concepts using link-level and packaging-level metrics.
- Detector and receiver-side integration: assess photodiode-array and receiver-side technologies, including SiGe PD array options, link budgets, bandwidth, pitch, integration constraints, and packaging scalability.
- Simulation and analysis workflows: develop modeling methods that connect device-level behavior with link, thermal, packaging, and system-level trade-offs to guide feasibility decisions and architecture choices.
- Quantum, quantum dots, and emerging photonics: assess selected advanced photonics and quantum-adjacent technologies that may create future opportunities in communications, sensing, or integrated photonics platforms.
- Internal alignment and transition: work with internal experts and business groups to translate early technical findings into project proposals, proof points, and possible transition paths.
Key Responsibilities
Advanced Technical Assessment and Incubation
- Shape early-stage concepts, feasibility objectives, risk-reduction plans, and prototype approaches for priority CTO Office topics.
- Lead technical evaluations, modeling, design reviews, and trade-off studies with internal or external contributors.
- Develop technical recommendations on performance, manufacturability, integration path, scalability, reliability, and transition readiness.
Roadmap Input and Technology Direction
- Contribute technical input to roadmap discussions in optical interconnect, CPO/optical I/O, AI/HPC infrastructure, silicon photonics, advanced light sources, detector technologies, and related photonics platforms.
- Translate emerging technology options into clear milestones, risks, decision points, and recommended next steps.
- Connect future system needs, internal capabilities, external opportunities, and business-group priorities into actionable technical options.
External Innovation and Partner Assessment
- Build a practical view of relevant startups, universities, research institutes, suppliers, and technology partners.
- Evaluate external opportunities for technical credibility, maturity, differentiation, IP position, integration path, timing, and strategic fit.
- Develop technology input for build/partner/buy discussions and potential collaboration opportunities.
Cross-Functional Execution and Communication
- Collaborate with CTO Office colleagues, internal experts, business groups, and external partners to advance relevant opportunities from evaluation toward proof points.
- Prepare concise technical recommendations for senior technical, product, and business stakeholders.
- Represent Coherent in relevant technical forums, partner meetings, university discussions, and ecosystem engagements when relevant.
Education & Experience
- Advanced degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Photonics, or related field; Ph.D. preferred.
- 15+ years of experience in photonics, optical communications, semiconductor lasers, optoelectronic devices, data-center optical interconnect, quantum photonics, or related advanced technology fields.
- Deep technical understanding of optical I/O, semiconductor photonics, III-V devices, silicon photonics, photodetectors, advanced light sources, and system-level optical-interconnect trade-offs.
- Experience translating ambiguous technical opportunities into architectures, project scope, feasibility plans, risks, milestones, and technical recommendations.
- Experience with modeling, simulation, data analysis, and technical decision support using tools such as Python, COMSOL, Lumerical, Matlab, or equivalent.
- Experience coordinating cross-functional R&D work across design, process, packaging, reliability, product, and business stakeholders.
- Experience with technology scouting, startup evaluation, partner assessment, roadmap input, or external innovation engagement.
Skills
- Deep technical credibility with photonics, optical interconnect, device physics, and advanced-development teams.
- Strong system-level thinking across devices, process scalability, packaging, link architecture, and product relevance.
- Ability to define clear technical directions from complex trade-offs and incomplete information.
- Entrepreneurial mindset and ability to create practical project concepts before they are fully defined by customer pull.
- Collaborative leadership style and ability to influence across sites, business groups, and external partners.
- Clear communication with senior technical, product, and business audiences.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid role with collaboration across Coherent sites, CTO Office colleagues, and business groups.
- Periodic travel to startups, universities, partners, and Coherent sites; US and Asia travel as needed.
- Combination of independent technical analysis, cross-functional collaboration, project leadership, and external ecosystem engagement.
Physical Requirements
- xxxx
Safety Requirements
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Quality and Environmental Responsibilities
Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Culture Commitment
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:
Integrity – Create an Environment of Trust
Collaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas
Accountability – Own the Process and the Outcome
Respect – Recognize the Value in Everyone
Enthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work
Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at talentacquisition@coherent.com.
About us
Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!
Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.
JOB INFO
Job Identification
2013777
Posting Date
07/27/2026, 10:00 AM
Degree Level
Master's Degree
Job Schedule
Full time
Locations
5100 Patrick Henry Drive, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, US (Hybrid)
Pay Scale
$127,875 - $223,813 per year
LI-JF1
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
The themes below are examples of early focus areas. They may evolve with CTO Office priorities and future Coherent needs.
- Advanced light sources for silicon photonics: evaluate source architectures such as quantum-dot DFB lasers, PIC-enhanced approaches, and comb-based sources against power, wavelength control, integration, reliability, packaging, manufacturability, and platform fit.
- Heterogeneous integration for active silicon photonics: explore integration approaches for lasers, amplifiers, pumps, modulators, and related active building blocks, with attention to process compatibility, yield, thermal behavior, reliability, and scalability.
- Energy-efficient optical I/O: develop architecture options for high-density, short-reach optical links relevant to memory-adjacent, scale-up, and disaggregated-compute use cases; compare parallel-emitter arrays, silicon photonics, and emerging emitter/receiver concepts using link-level and packaging-level metrics.
- Detector and receiver-side integration: assess photodiode-array and receiver-side technologies, including SiGe PD array options, link budgets, bandwidth, pitch, integration constraints, and packaging scalability.
- Simulation and analysis workflows: develop modeling methods that connect device-level behavior with link, thermal, packaging, and system-level trade-offs to guide feasibility decisions and architecture choices.
- Quantum, quantum dots, and emerging photonics: assess selected advanced photonics and quantum-adjacent technologies that may create future opportunities in communications, sensing, or integrated photonics platforms.
- Internal alignment and transition: work with internal experts and business groups to translate early technical findings into project proposals, proof points, and possible transition paths.
Key Responsibilities
Advanced Technical Assessment and Incubation
- Shape early-stage concepts, feasibility objectives, risk-reduction plans, and prototype approaches for priority CTO Office topics.
- Lead technical evaluations, modeling, design reviews, and trade-off studies with internal or external contributors.
- Develop technical recommendations on performance, manufacturability, integration path, scalability, reliability, and transition readiness.
Roadmap Input and Technology Direction
- Contribute technical input to roadmap discussions in optical interconnect, CPO/optical I/O, AI/HPC infrastructure, silicon photonics, advanced light sources, detector technologies, and related photonics platforms.
- Translate emerging technology options into clear milestones, risks, decision points, and recommended next steps.
- Connect future system needs, internal capabilities, external opportunities, and business-group priorities into actionable technical options.
External Innovation and Partner Assessment
- Build a practical view of relevant startups, universities, research institutes, suppliers, and technology partners.
- Evaluate external opportunities for technical credibility, maturity, differentiation, IP position, integration path, timing, and strategic fit.
- Develop technology input for build/partner/buy discussions and potential collaboration opportunities.
Cross-Functional Execution and Communication
- Collaborate with CTO Office colleagues, internal experts, business groups, and external partners to advance relevant opportunities from evaluation toward proof points.
- Prepare concise technical recommendations for senior technical, product, and business stakeholders.
- Represent Coherent in relevant technical forums, partner meetings, university discussions, and ecosystem engagements when relevant.
Education & Experience
- Advanced degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Photonics, or related field; Ph.D. preferred.
- 15+ years of experience in photonics, optical communications, semiconductor lasers, optoelectronic devices, data-center optical interconnect, quantum photonics, or related advanced technology fields.
- Deep technical understanding of optical I/O, semiconductor photonics, III-V devices, silicon photonics, photodetectors, advanced light sources, and system-level optical-interconnect trade-offs.
- Experience translating ambiguous technical opportunities into architectures, project scope, feasibility plans, risks, milestones, and technical recommendations.
- Experience with modeling, simulation, data analysis, and technical decision support using tools such as Python, COMSOL, Lumerical, Matlab, or equivalent.
- Experience coordinating cross-functional R&D work across design, process, packaging, reliability, product, and business stakeholders.
- Experience with technology scouting, startup evaluation, partner assessment, roadmap input, or external innovation engagement.
Skills
- Deep technical credibility with photonics, optical interconnect, device physics, and advanced-development teams.
- Strong system-level thinking across devices, process scalability, packaging, link architecture, and product relevance.
- Ability to define clear technical directions from complex trade-offs and incomplete information.
- Entrepreneurial mindset and ability to create practical project concepts before they are fully defined by customer pull.
- Collaborative leadership style and ability to influence across sites, business groups, and external partners.
- Clear communication with senior technical, product, and business audiences.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid role with collaboration across Coherent sites, CTO Office colleagues, and business groups.
- Periodic travel to startups, universities, partners, and Coherent sites; US and Asia travel as needed.
- Combination of independent technical analysis, cross-functional collaboration, project leadership, and external ecosystem engagement.
Physical Requirements
- xxxx
Safety Requirements
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Quality and Environmental Responsibilities
Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Culture Commitment
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:
Integrity – Create an Environment of Trust
Collaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas
Accountability – Own the Process and the Outcome
Respect – Recognize the Value in Everyone
Enthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work
Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at talentacquisition@coherent.com.
About us
Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!
Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.
JOB INFO
Job Identification
2013777
Posting Date
07/27/2026, 10:00 AM
Degree Level
Master's Degree
Job Schedule
Full time
Locations
5100 Patrick Henry Drive, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, US (Hybrid)
Pay Scale
$127,875 - $223,813 per year
LI-JF1
Photonics Engineer Job Roles in California
See all 391+ Photonics Engineer Jobs in California
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Search Photonics Engineer Jobs in CaliforniaPhotonics Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for photonics engineers in California?
California-based employers with consistent H-1B visa filing histories for photonics roles include Lumentum, II-VI Incorporated (now Coherent Corp.), Viavi Solutions, Broadcom, and Intel. Defense contractors such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman also sponsor in Southern California, though some positions require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency due to security clearance requirements. Sponsorship patterns vary by product line and project type.
Which visa types are most common for photonics engineer roles in California?
The H-1B is the most frequently used visa for photonics engineers in California, as the role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in photonics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, or physics. O-1A visas are an option for engineers with demonstrated extraordinary ability. Some employers also support EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship after initial H-1B approval. USCIS has detailed criteria for each category.
Which cities in California have the most photonics engineer sponsorship jobs?
San Jose and the broader Silicon Valley corridor lead in photonics engineering sponsorship activity, anchored by semiconductor and fiber optics companies. San Diego has a strong cluster tied to defense photonics, LIDAR, and biophotonics firms. Los Angeles and the South Bay area host aerospace and defense employers. Santa Barbara benefits from proximity to UC Santa Barbara, a nationally recognized photonics research university that feeds local industry hiring.
How to find photonics engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists photonics engineer roles in California filtered by visa sponsorship history, drawing on DOL Labor Condition Application data to surface employers who have actively sponsored international engineers. You can search by city, employer, or visa type to narrow results to active California opportunities. This makes it faster to identify companies already familiar with the H-1B process for photonics and optical engineering positions specifically.
What state-specific factors should photonics engineers know about sponsorship in California?
California employers must post LCA public access files and meet DOL prevailing wage requirements specific to the metropolitan statistical area where the role is located, which means wage levels in San Jose or San Diego may differ significantly from national averages. Engineers can check location-specific prevailing wages using the OFLC Wage Search tool. California also has state labor laws that interact with H-1B employment terms, so employers and candidates should be aware of both federal and state obligations.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored photonics engineer jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.