Optical System Engineer
US$150,000 – US$230,000 / yr base salary
Posted 3 Jun 2026
Advertised as “Senior Optical System Engineer”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 5+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$150,000 – US$230,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyElectrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics (or related)
Study levelMaster's or higher
Company 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.
Job Description
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, high-performance, and power-efficient optical interconnect solutions for hyperscale AI infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead system-level design validation and qualification of advanced optical interconnect products including 1.6T/3.2T optical interconnect, silicon photonics PICs, optical engines, DSP-based optical links, and CPO/OCI systems.
- Develop and execute comprehensive validation plans for optical modules, high-speed electrical and optical interfaces, switch-level interoperability, and rack-level system qualification.
- Characterize and optimize key optical and electrical performance metrics including BER, TDECQ, jitter, OSNR, extinction ratio, receiver sensitivity, eye quality, link margin, and power efficiency.