Photonics Field Applications Engineer (FAE)

The Role
We 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.

This 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.

What You Will Do
Customer Technical Engagement
Serve as the primary technical liaison for strategic customers and partners

Deliver technical presentations, product demonstrations, and solution training

Understand customer architectures, requirements, and roadmaps to align solutions with business objectives

Build trusted relationships with engineering, operations, procurement, and executive stakeholders

Provide on-site and remote technical support throughout evaluation, design-in, qualification, and production phases

Solution Development
Support customer integration of photonic and optical networking products

Assist customers with high-speed optical interconnects, silicon photonics solutions, optical engines and transceivers, fiber-optic assemblies, AI cluster networking architectures, and LiDAR sensing systems

Troubleshoot optical, electrical, and system-level performance issues

Technical Leadership
Act as the voice of the customer within engineering and product teams.
Translate field requirements into product enhancements and roadmap recommendations.
Influence future product development based on customer feedback and market needs

Collaborate with R&D teams on technology demonstrations, proof-of-concepts, and customer evaluations

Business Development Support
Support sales and account teams during customer engagements

Participate in technical proposal development, RFQs, and RFP responses

Identify expansion opportunities and drive technical wins

Represent the company at industry conferences, customer meetings, webinars, and trade shows

Your Background Includes
5+ years in Field Applications Engineering, Systems Engineering, Optical Networking, Silicon Photonics, or Optical Module Development

Experience supporting hyperscalers, cloud service providers, AI infrastructure companies, networking OEMs, or LiDAR and sensing customers

Familiarity with leading AI networking ecosystems and optical interconnect architectures

Experience selling into key target markets with a track record of technical influence

Existing customer contacts at strategic growth targets preferred

Ability and willingness to travel internationally

Flexibility to work across global time zones

Excellent soft skills with a demonstrated ability to build trusted engineering-level relationships

Ability to travel up to 30-50% domestically and internationally

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related technical discipline

About OpenLight
OpenLight 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.
As 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.
OpenLight 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.
OpenLight'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.