Hardware Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 13, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 13, 2026.
About us
Salience Labs is building the optical infrastructure that will power the next generation of AI. Our photonic switching technology delivers the high-speed, ultra-low latency networking fabrics AI datacenters need and can’t get anywhere else. We’re a multi-disciplinary team of physicists, engineers, and machine learning specialists on a mission to remove the bottlenecks holding AI infrastructure back.
Job Overview
As a Hardware Engineer at Salience Labs, you will play a crucial role in designing and testing the electronics that power our hybrid photonic-electronic systems. As an early member of the team, you will contribute directly to our mission of bringing photonic products to high-performance compute systems, particularly those used for AI.
The role offers a varied mix of system design, PCB design, system bring-up and qualification, with a significant share of hands-on lab work at our Oxford office.
What you’ll be doing
Carry out detailed hardware design, including specification, simulation, schematic capture (using Altium) and component selection. PCB layout experience is a strong advantage
Bring up and test new hardware in the lab, focusing on the electronics and how they interact with photonic elements
Diagnose and resolve issues during hardware bring-up and testing
Characterise new electronic systems and their integration with photonic components
Characterise the mechanical and thermal properties of our systems and their impact on photonic performance
Qualify electronic systems for production, working with external test houses as needed
Work closely with photonics, firmware and test colleagues to turn system requirements into hardware that works first time
What we’re looking for
3+ years of experience in high-speed digital or analogue design, including high-speed discrete analogue-to-digital conversion, high-performance FPGAs and high-speed digital interfaces (including Ethernet and DDR)
3+ years of experience bringing up and testing new electronic systems
Strong diagnostic skills, including hands-on rework
Comfort working both independently and within small, multidisciplinary teams
Strong technical, organisational and time management skills, with the ability to translate requirements into successful hardware implementations
Drive, motivation and flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment
Experience with PCB layout
Experience working with external vendors for layout, manufacturing, assembly and qualification
Experience characterising the mechanical and thermal properties of electronic systems
This is an "on -site" role with 4/5 days in the office required.