Astera Labs

Photonic Packaging Engineer, Principal

Astera Labs$205K — $255K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Ph.D. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
  • 10+ years in photonic packaging, optical transceivers, or semiconductor packaging
  • Expert in high-speed optical/electrical packaging and thermal management
  • Strong background in optoelectronic package integration
  • Proven experience in leading hardware from R&D to manufacturing
  • Excellent program management and cross-functional leadership skills
  • Highly developed communication and negotiation abilities

Responsibilities

  • Lead the development of photonic packaging strategies for Silicon Photonics Modules
  • Define technical requirements and package architectures balancing performance and cost
  • Collaborate with teams for co-design optimization in IC packaging and silicon photonics
  • Build and mentor a team of packaging engineers and scientists
  • Drive supplier engagement and technology partnerships for innovations
  • Oversee failure analysis, reliability testing, and yield improvement
  • Contribute to the long-term package technology roadmap

Benefits

  • Eligible for discretionary bonus and incentives
  • Comprehensive benefits package offered
Full Job Description
We are seeking a visionary and technically strong Photonic Packaging Engineer, Principal to lead the design, development, and productization of advanced packaging solutions for advanced optics. This role will drive the intersection of photonics, high-speed electronics, thermal management, and mechanical integration to enable next-generation data center and networking platforms.

You will guide a multidisciplinary team through all phases of product realization-from concept and design through manufacturing scale-up-working closely with silicon photonics, electrical packaging, systems, and supply chain teams to achieve world-class optical and electrical performance.
Key Responsibilities
  • Lead the end-to-end development of photonic packaging strategies for Silicon Photonics Modules, including EIC/PIC co-packaging, optical coupling, fiber attach, and thermal and mechanical design.
  • Define technical requirements and package architectures that balance performance, manufacturability, and cost with compatibility with established electronic packaging flows.
  • Collaborate with IC packaging, optical connector, and silicon photonics teams to achieve co-design optimization
  • Build and mentor a high-performing team of packaging engineers and scientists.
  • Drive supplier engagement and technology partnerships for packaging partnerships and innovations.
  • Oversee failure analysis, reliability testing, and yield improvement efforts.
  • Contribute to the long-term package technology roadmap for advanced optical integration and scalability with ALAB's signal connectivity portfolio.
Qualifications
  • Ph.D. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
  • 10+ years of experience in photonic packaging, optical transceivers, or advanced semiconductor packaging.
  • Proven expertise in high-speed optical/electrical packaging, thermal management, and precision optomechanical design.
  • Deep understanding of optoelectronic package integration
  • Track record of leading complex hardware from R&D through high-volume manufacturing.
  • Strong program management and cross-functional leadership skills.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and organizational abilities.
Preferred Experience
  • Experience with silicon photonics integrated devices
  • Familiarity with advanced packaging optics trends and data center network architectures.
  • Background in contract manufacturing, vendor qualification, and global supply chain management.

Salary range is $205,000 to $255,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

About Astera Labs

Astera Labs is a semiconductor company that designs and develops purpose-built connectivity solutions for data-centric systems. The company's portfolio of products includes system-aware semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), boards, and intellectual property (IP) that are used in data center servers, storage, and networking equipment. Astera Labs' products are designed to improve the performance, latency, and power consumption of data-centric systems. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Learn more about Astera Labs
Size
51 employees
Industry
Net Income
-$3 million
Founded
2018
Revenue
$5 million
NASDAQ

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