Photonics Applications Engineer

Change the world. Love your job. 

Texas Instruments (TI) is out front and ready for the next big challenge. Our innovations are at the core of nearly every electronics product in use today. And it doesn't stop there. We're developing breakthrough technology to power the world's future innovations as well. TI is committed to building a better future — from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities. Put your talent to work with us.


Our business has very high growth in TI and is in a segment where the market is fast growing. We're searching for applications engineer who have the passion and excitement to grow, innovative, take an active role in product definition, execute the characterization until ramp, and provide post ramp application support to customers.


The Texas Instruments Optical Signal Chain and Controllers team is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Applications Engineer to lead customer support, debug, and characterization of next-generation optical ICs, electrical ICs, silicon-photonics-based optical sub-assemblies, and optical engines for high-speed data communications applications. You will be the link between product design and customer experience, playing a pivotal role in the product lifecycle by solving technical challenges, integrating devices into customer systems and translating feedback into design improvements. In addition, you will architect, assemble, and bring up high-speed (> 50 GHz) bench test setups while driving high quality, accurate, and high throughput measurement procedures and reporting. You may also supervise and mentor junior applications engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Hands-On Customer Support Leadership: Drive external-facing interactions, answering customer and partner questions and supporting design-in activities for new products. 


• Test Setup Development: Lead the specification, assembly, and validation of custom, high-speed (> 50GHz) electrical, electro-optical, and optical-optical die-level test setups.


• Equipment & Tool Management: Identify, select, and procure necessary test tools and equipment; partner directly with equipment vendors to bring up and troubleshoot measurement systems.


• Device Characterization Strategy & Execution: Collaborate with design teams and product architects to formulate comprehensive test plans across die, package, and board levels.      Must be strongly familiar with industry standard practices for high-volume high-speed electrical and optical characterization.


• Data Management & Visualization: Build and maintain structured databases of measurement data; analyze and report out findings using data visualization tools.


• Leadership & Supervision: Direct, coordinate, and supervise the daily testing efforts of junior applications engineers. Coordinate application and validation efforts across multiple global sites.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience: 5+ years industry experience in datacenter transceiver and high-speed electrical and optical interfaces (at least 50Gbps/lane PAM4; 200Gbps/lane strongly preferred).


• Hands-on bench setup development and bring-up: Hands-on experience with die/package-level testing, small and large signal testing, and high throughput test automation. Experience with the design and bring-up of multi-purpose high-speed opto-electrical test stations.


• Equipment: Expertise with high-speed (> 50 GHz) test equipment including Lightwave Component Analyzers (LCA), DCAs, AWGs, and real-time oscilloscopes.


• Lab automation: Develop and optimize robust bench test automation scripts to maximize throughput and device characterization coverage, while ensuring repeatability and streamlining data logging and databasing.


• Time management: Track record of solid time management, and the ability to multitask across multiple test setups in parallel.


• Interfacing & Coupling: Proven knowledge of single- and multi-channel optical fiber coupling schemes (normal-incidence, edge coupling, grating couplers) fiber alignment procedures, and high-speed electrical interfacing (direct RF probing, high-speed connectors).


• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead test initiatives and coordinate junior engineering staff.  Experience summarizing and presenting complex test results to cross-functional teams. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on PCB and optical assembly experience tailored for test environments.


• Proficiency in Python, Matlab, JMP, and Spotfire.