Principal Photonics Packaging Architect

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.

Principal Advanced Packaging Engineer  

Location: San Jose, CA (On-site). 

About the Role  

Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Advanced Packaging Engineer to lead R&D for next-generation packaging technologies for optical chips. This is a senior individual contributor role focused on setting technical direction and driving packaging technology development for NPO and CPO products. 

Responsibilities  

• Lead R&D for advanced packaging of optical chips, including 2.1D, 2.5D, and 3D integration. 

• Define and optimize wafer-level, panel-level, or die-level packaging process flows. 

• Drive EIC-to-PIC integration and broader optical device integration efforts. 

• Select and qualify packaging materials for advanced packaging. 

• Partner with OSAT, tool vendors, and material suppliers to drive equipment, process, and materials development. 

• Characterize and continuously improve yield, reliability, and process capability for NPO and CPO packages. 

• Develop and maintain packaging PDKs and design rules for NPO and CPO products. 

Basic Qualifications  

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field. 

• 8+ years of experience in semiconductor or advanced packaging engineering, with demonstrated technical leadership. 

• Deep expertise in advanced packaging processes, including 2.5D/3D integration, flip-chip, hybrid bonding, Cu pillar, TSV, RDL, and overmold across wafer-, panel-, and die-level flows. 

• Experience with silicon photonics chip packaging and EIC/PIC integration. 

• Hands-on experience with advanced packaging materials, including underfill, molding compounds, dielectrics, adhesives, or optical-grade encapsulants. 

• Proven track record of equipment and process qualification with OSAT or tool suppliers. 

• Experience with PDK development and packaging design rule authoring. 

• Strong foundation in yield analysis, reliability characterization, and process capability methodologies such as Cpk and SPC. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Hands-on experience with CPO or NPO product development. 

• Experience with optical coupling or waveguide alignment for photonic integration. 

• Familiarity with DFM and DFT for advanced packaging. 

Salary range is $205,000 to $260,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.