The Chief Optical Engineer will focus on bridging optical behavior with electrical IC design, leading customer engagements, and guiding production architecture for AI infrastructure.
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 Chief Optical Engineer — an agile, deeply technical optical expert who bridges real-world photonic behavior and production-grade electrical IC design.
This is a dual-facing role. Internally, you will translate optical system realities into concrete EIC architecture direction, ensuring our silicon is robust, manufacturable, and field-deployable — not just spec-compliant. Externally, you will serve as Eliyan's optical authority in customer and partner engagements, reinforcing our technical credibility and participating in optical standards activities directly relevant to Eliyan's roadmap.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Define EIC architecture requirements for VCSEL, uLED, and Silicon Photonics engines
- Inject field realities — aging, thermal drift, yield, packaging, and test — into silicon decisions
- Ensure EICs are robust, manufacturable, and scalable, not just specification-compliant
- Identify and flag fragile architectures before tapeout
- Guide calibration strategy, observability, test hooks, and failure containment
- Define what "production-ready" means for each optical technology Eliyan pursues
- Represent Eliyan as a technically credible optical systems company in external engagements
- Lead deep technical discussions with customers, module vendors, and optical ecosystem partners
- Ensure Eliyan's optical communications are precise, grounded, and authoritative
- Stay current on optical networking directions in AI datacenter infrastructure
- Provide clear-eyed tradeoffs across VCSEL, uLED, and SiPho approaches
- Advise where specialization is required versus where EIC architectures can be generalized
- Identify and eliminate hype early; prioritize deployable, production-viable solutions
- Track and engage in optical standards activities directly relevant to Eliyan's technology
Optical → Electrical IC Architecture
Production & Field Reality
Customer & Partner Engagement
Optical Strategy & Roadmap
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Deep expertise in optical systems engineering — VCSEL, uLED, and/or Silicon Photonics
- Hands-on experience translating optical behavior into electrical IC and EIC architecture requirements
- Track record of shipping production optical systems, with first-hand knowledge of field realities including aging, thermal, yield, and packaging effects
- Experience leading technical engagements with customers, partners, or standards bodies as an optical authority
- Ability to work across disciplines — engaging credibly with silicon architects, EIC designers, and systems engineers
- Strong judgment on tradeoffs; comfort challenging fragile architectures and cutting through industry hype
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with optical interconnects for AI infrastructure or high-speed datacenter scale-up networks
- Familiarity with die-to-die, chiplet, or co-packaged optics architectures
- Participation in optical or photonic standards bodies (IEEE, OIF, CXL Consortium, or equivalent)
- MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Physics, or a related field
Eliyan Corporation Santa Clara, California, USA Office
Santa Clara, California, United States
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