Engineer, Optical Control Systems

We are seeking an Optical Control Systems Engineer to join our Optical Control Systems team. In this role, you will design, model, and implement control systems for an electro-optic system-on-chip (SoC). You will contribute across the full development cycle—from architecture and control design to bring-up, validation, and debugging on real hardware.

You will work closely with a small, cross-functional IC development team including Analog/Mixed-Signal, Photonics, ASIC, and Systems engineers. The ideal candidate is a hands-on self-starter who thrives in an environment with broad technical ownership and the opportunity to influence system architecture and product direction.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and model control systems for electro-optic subsystems and full system-level solutions as part of a silicon design team
• Contribute to system architecture and define control specifications based on inputs from internal teams, customers, and industry requirements
• Design, analyze, and implement optical control loops spanning analog, digital, and firmware domains to guide design trade-offs and performance optimization
• Implement and validate algorithms in simulation and on real silicon
• Collaborate with Analog, Photonics, and ASIC teams throughout design, tapeout, and post-silicon phases

Basic Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field and 2+ years of relevant industry experience
• Strong programming skills in Python, C, and/or C++
• Familiarity with digital design or modeling tools such as Verilog-A, Verilog, or SystemVerilog
• Understanding of integrated circuits, system-level design, and development flows

Preferred Qualifications

• MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• Background in control systems or control theory (academic or practical)
• Experience working with hardware in lab environments, including bring-up, debugging, and validation
• Experience designing or modeling closed-loop control systems
• Knowledge of circuit design environments and mixed-signal workflows (e.g., Cadence tools)
• Exposure to optics, photonics, or electro-optic systems

Salary range: $120,000 - $160,000

Note To Recruiters
Principals only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don't send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.

About Ayar Labs
At Ayar Labs we're about to revolutionize computing by moving data with light. We're unleashing processing power for artificial intelligence, high performance computing, cloud and telecommunications by removing the bottlenecks created by today's electrical I/O -- making it possible to continue scaling computing system performance. Ayar Labs is the first to deliver an optical I/O solution that combines in-package optical I/O chiplets and multi-wavelength remote light sources to replace traditional electrical I/O. This silicon photonics-based I/O solution enables chips to communicate with each other from millimeters to kilometers, to deliver orders of magnitude improvements in latency, bandwidth density, and power consumption.

With our strong collaborations with industry leaders and government, our deep ties to MIT and UC Berkeley, and our commitment to hiring the best engineers in photonics and electronics, joining our team gives you the opportunity to collaborate with renowned experts on challenging, paradigm-shifting work.

We are passionate about delivering in-package optical I/O at scale, leveraging the strength of our patent portfolio and our team of leading interdisciplinary experts. We believe that deep cross-collaboration between teams facilitated by honest, open debate is the best way to drive innovation and achieve big wins. Join our team and experience the possibilities.

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Ayar Labs is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.