{"id":1296030,"url":"https://alion.io/job/openlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae","title":"Photonics Field Applications Engineer (FAE)","company":{"id":2264134,"name":"OpenLight Photonics","domain":"openlightphotonics.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/openlightphotonics","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Kula","truth_index":null},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Santa Clara, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":140000,"max":215000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":215000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"closed","first_seen_at":"2026-09-25T09:11:46Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-20","last_verified_at":"2026-10-22T22:54:50Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":"2026-10-22T22:54:50Z","days_open":27,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":27},"description":"The Role\nWe are seeking a highly motivated and customer-focused Photonics Field Applications Engineer to support leading-edge optical technologies for AI infrastructure, hyperscale datacenters, high-speed networking, and LiDAR applications. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in photonics, optics, and networking with exceptional interpersonal skills to engage customers, identify opportunities, solve complex technical challenges, and accelerate product adoption.\nThis role serves as the primary technical interface between customers, sales teams, product management, and engineering, helping drive successful deployment of next-generation photonic solutions for 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T, and emerging optical networking platforms.\nWhat You Will Do\nCustomer Technical Engagement\nServe as the primary technical liaison for strategic customers and partners\n\nDeliver technical presentations, product demonstrations, and solution training\n\nUnderstand customer architectures, requirements, and roadmaps to align solutions with business objectives\n\nBuild trusted relationships with engineering, operations, procurement, and executive stakeholders\n\nProvide on-site and remote technical support throughout evaluation, design-in, qualification, and production phases\n\nSolution Development\nSupport customer integration of photonic and optical networking products\n\nAssist customers with high-speed optical interconnects, silicon photonics solutions, optical engines and transceivers, fiber-optic assemblies, AI cluster networking architectures, and LiDAR sensing systems\n\nTroubleshoot optical, electrical, and system-level performance issues\n\nTechnical Leadership\nAct as the voice of the customer within engineering and product teams.\nTranslate field requirements into product enhancements and roadmap recommendations.\nInfluence future product development based on customer feedback and market needs\n\nCollaborate with R&D teams on technology demonstrations, proof-of-concepts, and customer evaluations\n\nBusiness Development Support\nSupport sales and account teams during customer engagements\n\nParticipate in technical proposal development, RFQs, and RFP responses\n\nIdentify expansion opportunities and drive technical wins\n\nRepresent the company at industry conferences, customer meetings, webinars, and trade shows\n\nYour Background Includes\n5+ years in Field Applications Engineering, Systems Engineering, Optical Networking, Silicon Photonics, or Optical Module Development\n\nExperience supporting hyperscalers, cloud service providers, AI infrastructure companies, networking OEMs, or LiDAR and sensing customers\n\nFamiliarity with leading AI networking ecosystems and optical interconnect architectures\n\nExperience selling into key target markets with a track record of technical influence\n\nExisting customer contacts at strategic growth targets preferred\n\nAbility and willingness to travel internationally\n\nFlexibility to work across global time zones\n\nExcellent soft skills with a demonstrated ability to build trusted engineering-level relationships\n\nAbility to travel up to 30-50% domestically and internationally\n\nBachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related technical discipline\n\nAbout OpenLight\nOpenLight is growing as customer adoption and industry momentum continue to accelerate. The rapid growth of AI and cloud infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for faster, more energy-efficient optical connectivity. We are addressing this challenge through a platform approach that simplifies the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and accelerates industry adoption.\nAs part of our team, you will contribute to technologies that enable AI and hyperscale data centers, high-speed optical communications, advanced sensing applications, next-generation photonic integration, and more. Our team is collaborative and fast-moving, and you will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions across technology, operations, and business growth.\nOpenLight continues with a hybrid schedule, with a standard of three days/week in office; you select the days you're in, based on what's best for your work priorities.\nOpenLight's salary for technical roles is dependent on the skills and experience of the individual, their primary work location, and other parameters; annual salary will generally be somewhere between $140,000-$215,000. In addition to cash compensation, OpenLight offers incentive stock options (ISOs), generous insurance support, 401k matching, unlimited vacation, spot bonuses, and a positive work environment. If you are excited about solving challenging problems, advancing cutting-edge technology, and working with a highly collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4792,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Optical Communications","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-26T09:11:46Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-10-22T22:54:50Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 2","filings_12m":2,"filings_prev_12m":5,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":137500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":null,"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":215000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/openlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/openlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-23T23:16:38Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":6562,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-24T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2264134},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2264134"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fopenlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fopenlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fopenlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/openlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fopenlight-photonics-photonics-field-applications-engineer-fae"}]}