Arista Networks

Networking

SeniorOpticalSystemEngineer

$150–230k Santa Clara, California, United States FULL TIME
Market Sentiment
HIGH DEMAND

Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for mid candidates.

The Brief

“Senior Optical System Engineer at Arista Networks. Skills: Optical system design, Optical interconnects, AI/datacenter optics, High-speed links. Lead system-level design validation and qualification of advanced. Develop and execute comprehensive validation plans for optical”

Industry & Context.

Networking
Problems you'll solve

Analytical skills; Troubleshooting skills; Debugging skills

What They're Looking For.

Must Have

Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field, Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in optical system validation, optical transceiver qualification, or optical subsystem testing, Experience with silicon photonics PICs, optical transceivers, optical engines, high-speed DSP-based links, CPO/OCI architectures, LPO/LRO/XPO optical systems, and AI/datacenter optical interconnect architectures, Direct experience with 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical systems, PAM4 modulation, high-speed Rx/Tx characterization, switch-level interoperability testing, firmware and EEPROM validation, BER/TDECQ/RIN measurements, receiver sensitivity testing, and wafer-level optical characterization, Familiarity with optical communication principles including NRZ/PAM4 modulation, dispersion, OSNR, jitter, equalization, signal integrity, and power integrity concepts, Proficiency with optical and electrical lab instrumentation including BERTs, DCAs, high-speed oscilloscopes, OSAs, tunable lasers, VOAs, network analyzers, high-speed probes and fixtures, and optical power meters, Experience with test automation and scripting using Python, MATLAB, and LabVIEW, Familiarity with optical and RF simulation tools such as Lumerical, HFSS, ADS, COMSOL, VPI, and Zemax, Understanding of IEEE 802.3 standards, QSFP-DD/OSFP modules, CMIS, optical module architectures, equalization techniques including CTLE, DFE, and FIR, as well as optical packaging and thermal considerations, Experience with interoperability testing, root-cause and debugging, Analytical, troubleshooting, debugging, and communication skills

Nice to Have

Master’s or Ph. D. degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field, Experience with silicon photonics, optical engine packaging, AI interconnect architectures, optical switching systems, co-packaged optics (CPO), Optical Compute Interconnect (OCI), and coherent optical systems, Experience with high-speed transceiver and optical engine testing at 100G, 400G, 800G, and 1.6T data rates, Familiarity with DSP tuning and equalization techniques including CTLE, DFE, FIR equalization, adaptive equalization, and PAM4 eye optimization, Familiarity with optical and RF simulation tools including Lumerical, HFSS, ADS, COMSOL, VPI, and Zemax, Exposure to AI cluster optical interconnect architectures, optical switching fabrics, XPO/LPO/LRO systems, and high-density optical engine architectures, Experience with database-driven analytics platforms, automated regression validation systems, and production test automation frameworks, Publications, patents, industry conference presentations, or contributions to IEEE, OIF, MSA, or CMIS standards activities

What You'll Do.

Lead system-level design validation and qualification of advanced

Develop and execute comprehensive validation plans for optical

Characterize and optimize key optical and electrical performance

and system-level qualification testing

Lead high-speed optical and electrical debug activities

and maintain optical/electrical test stations

Collaborate closely with photonics

Support optical architecture development for AI clusters

Contribute to industry standards activities

Analyze test results and generate detailed technical reports

How You'll Work.

Team & Collaboration

Cross-functional teams; Photonics teams; DSP/ASIC teams; SI/PI teams; Packaging teams; Firmware teams; Manufacturing teams; System architecture teams

Communication Scope

Technical reports

Full Job Description

Arista Networks is an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large data center, campus and routing environments. What sets us apart is our relentless pursuit of innovation. We leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software-defined networking to provide our clients with a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Our solutions are designed to not only meet the current demands of the digital landscape but to also anticipate and adapt to future challenges. At Arista we value the diversity of thought and perspectives that each employee brings to the table. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment, where individuals from various backgrounds and experiences feel welcome, is essential for driving creativity and innovation. Our commitment to excellence has earned us several prestigious awards, such as Best Engineering Team, Best Company for Diversity, Compensation, and Work-Life Balance. At Arista, we take pride in our track record of success and strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and performance in everything we do. What You’ll Do We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Optical System Engineer to join ourhardware engineering team focused on next-generation AI/datacenter optical interconnect technologies. In this role, you will lead the design, development, validation, qualification, and optimization of advanced optical sub-systems including silicon photonics PICs, optical engines, high-speed DSP-based optical links, and 1.6T/3.2T optical Interconnects. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in optical systems, CPO/OCI architectures, system-level interoperability, high-speed optical/electrical characterization, automated test development, and optical system qualification. This role requires close collaboration with photonics, DSP/ASIC, SI/PI, packaging, firmware, and manufacturing teams to support the development and production ramp of scalable

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