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Sr. Principal Engineer, Systems Reliability

Ayar Labs
San Jose, CA, USA
Posted on Mar 13, 2026
     
  Position: Sr. Principal Engineer, Systems Reliability  
     Location:   San Jose, CA  
  
  Job Id: 554  
  # of Openings: 0  
    
  Sr. Principal Engineer, System Reliability (Optical I/O & Hyperscale Integration)
 Location: San Jose , CA (/On-site)
 
 
 Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models.
 
 Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD, Mediatek and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures. 
 
 The Sr. Principal Engineer, Systems Reliability will be a high-impact leader focused on one of the industry's greatest challenges: transitioning co-packaged optics (CPO) from cutting-edge innovation to mission-critical, high-volume deployments. You will be the bridge between silicon photonics physics and the massive operational scale of global AI infrastructure.
 
 
 Core Responsibilities
 1. Hyperscale Integration & Strategy
Lead the Technical Roadmap: Define how optical chiplets integrate into massive AI scale-up fabrics.
Tier-1 Collaboration: Partner directly with Hyperscalers to ensure Ayar solutions thrive in multi-rack GPU clusters.
Systems Engineering: Address the intersection of thermal management, power delivery, and mission profile alignment to ensure seamless integration.
 
 2. RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) Framework
Architect Standards: Translate Tier-1 customer requirements into a robust RAS architecture for silicon photonics systems.
Fault Management: Establish protocols for error correction (FEC), fault isolation, and link recovery.
Redundancy Logic: Design the redundancy strategy for our remote light source to ensure "always-on" performance in high-stakes environments.
 
 3. Ecosystem & Foundry Collaboration
Technical Liaison: Work closely with ASIC partners (e.g., Alchip, GUC) and foundries (e.g., TSMC) to optimize advanced packaging and interconnect reliability.
Industry Influence: Represent Ayar Labs at industry standardization forums to shape the future of optical interconnects.
 
 4. Operational Telemetry & Predictive Analytics
Real-Time Monitoring: Develop system-level monitoring and predictive analytics to track the health of optical links.
TCO Optimization: Use telemetry data to reduce downtime and optimize the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for data center operators.
 
 Required Qualifications 
Industry Tenure: 15+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, Reliability Physics, or Semiconductor Architecture, with a focus on Data Center or HPC environments.
Technical Mastery: Deep expertise in RAS frameworks and high-speed interconnect protocols such as PCIe, CXL, or UCIe , NVlink and UAlink.
Strategic Leadership: A proven track record of influencing Tier-1 Hyperscale partners and driving cross-functional technical strategies at a global scale.
 
 Preferred Qualifications 
Advanced Packaging: Familiarity with 2.5D/3D packaging technologies (e.g., CoWoS, SoIC) and their associated reliability challenges.
Domain Knowledge: Exposure to silicon photonics, laser physics, or optical networking.
Foundry Relations: Experience working with major foundries (e.g., TSMC) on advanced silicon integration.
 
Salary Range: $206,000 - $300,000
 
 NOTE TO RECRUITERS:
 Principals only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers. 
 
 Ayar Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply. 

 
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