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Photonics Design Engineer

AMD
San Jose, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 8/5/2025 CLOSED ON 9/3/2025

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Photonics Design Engineer position at AMD?

WHAT YOU DO AT AMD CHANGES EVERYTHING

We care deeply about transforming lives with AMD technology to enrich our industry, our communities, and the world. Our mission is to build great products that accelerate next-generation computing experiences - the building blocks for the data center, artificial intelligence, PCs, gaming and embedded. Underpinning our mission is the AMD culture. We push the limits of innovation to solve the world’s most important challenges. We strive for execution excellence while being direct, humble, collaborative, and inclusive of diverse perspectives.

AMD together we advance_

The Role

We are seeking a seasoned Photonics/Laser Design Engineer with expertise in taking white paper concepts and designing optical devices using in-house and/or commercial tools. You have worked to drive device maturity in foundries and taking photonics (silicon, III-V) devices from Research and Development, through New Product Introduction (NPI) and High Volume Product deliveries for Optical engines and/or Laser modules. You are meticulous about applying Design for Manufacturing/Test/Reliability (DFx) principles in your design work. You will interface with optical packaging experts, external vendors, internal/external designers, test and characterization experts as well as drive reliability and qualification studies. This senior role will stretch you as you lead design teams in new directions, network with our world-class, patent-holding think-tank, and negotiate amongst design teams, process teams, external partners and business unit executives.

The Person

You have excellent communication and presentation skills, demonstrated through technical publications, presentations, trainings, executive briefings, etc. You are highly adept at collaboration among top-thinkers and engineers alike, ready to mentor and guide, and help to elevate the knowledge and skills of the team around you.

Key Responsibilities

  • Evaluate and propose designs of silicon photonic active and passive devices, such as, lasers, modulator, detectors, wavelength (de)multiplexers, grating and edge couplers, and other elements required from a silicon photonics technology node.
  • Work closely with Photonics Process integration experts to ensure devices comply to Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles and target high yields as required by the cost targets of the product.
  • Conduct Design and Process Failure Modes and Effect Analyses (DFMEA) of photonic chips and modules to identify risks and implement risk mitigation plans.
  • Interface with foundries and Process integration experts to ensure Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) comply to Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles and target high yields as required by the cost targets of the product.
  • Determine inline process parameters and specifications thereof that would result in high yield devices.
  • Work with layout and test engineers to ensure Design for Test (DFT) which would enable device quality and yield monitoring, and enable correlation to inline process parameters.
  • Collaborate closely with Packaging designers to ensure optimal device performance with high yield once assembled into modules.
  • Determine key reliability and failure mechanisms for Photonic devices and modules to ensure Design for Reliability (DFR).
  • Run design and process debug using materials/data analyses in collaboration with the internal and external partners to debug performance issues, at beginning of life, in operation and end of life.


Preferred Experience

  • Professional experience in the photonics industry, specifically with experience taking deliverables from research and development (R&D) into high volume production.
  • Expertise in photonics numerical simulation principles and tools (Sentaurus, Lumerical, Harold, HFSS, ADS, or equivalent).
  • Experience working with foundries worldwide and foundry process integration experts
  • Experience with data analysis tools as it pertains to debugging device performance, correlation to inline parameters or product specifications and evaluating yield.
  • Understanding of optical transceiver design and specifications
  • Working knowledge of photonic component testing.
  • Understanding of MSA (Multi Source Agreement) standards for optical components/systems and lasers, and significance of the underlying specifications and requirements.
  • Excellent communication, project management, and presentation skills.
  • Adept at collaboration among top-thinkers and senior architects with strong interpersonal skills to work across teams in different geographies


Academic Credentials

  • Master’s or Ph.D. degree in optical engineering, physics, electrical engineering or related discipline.


LOCATION:

San Jose, CA

Benefits offered are described: AMD benefits at a glance.

AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.

Salary : $191,040 - $286,560

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