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Plessey Semiconductors

Optical Interconnect Architect

Hardware Systems IntegrationUpdated on Nov 13
Full-timeOxford, UKNo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • At least 10 years of experience in high-speed semiconductor, networking, optical communications, or related technology development.
  • Deep experience with SerDes architecture and high-speed I/O.
  • Strong understanding of ASIC/SoC architecture, high-speed electrical interfaces, optical communication systems, and optical link architecture.
  • Experience with one or more of silicon photonics, co-packaged optics (CPO), optical transceivers, optical engines, VCSELs or lasers, photodetectors, optical I/O, or chip-to-chip optical interconnects.
  • Experience translating system-level requirements into detailed electrical and optical specifications.
  • Strong understanding of signal integrity, power integrity, jitter, BER, equalization, and link budgets.
  • Experience working across semiconductor, photonics, and packaging disciplines.
  • Strong technical communication skills and ability to lead architecture discussions across multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

  • Define system and link architectures for next-generation optical interconnects.
  • Develop the electrical/optical interface architecture between ASICs, SerDes, optical engines, and photonic devices.
  • Lead architecture of high-speed SerDes-based optical links.
  • Evaluate and define architectures for co-packaged optics (CPO), silicon photonics, optical I/O, and chip-to-chip and package-to-package interconnects.
  • Develop link budgets and system-level requirements covering bandwidth, latency, optical power, insertion loss, BER, energy per bit, thermal performance, and reliability.
  • Work with ASIC, SerDes, photonics, packaging, and system engineering teams to translate system requirements into implementable architectures.
  • Evaluate emerging optical emitter and receiver technologies and their integration with high-speed electrical interfaces.
  • Assess new technologies for short-reach optical interconnects, including highly parallel optical architectures and emerging emitter technologies.
  • Define electrical and optical interfaces, including requirements for drivers, receivers, modulators, photodetectors, lasers or emitters, and optical coupling.
  • Lead architectural trade studies between electrical copper, VCSEL, laser-based silicon photonics, CPO, and emerging optical I/O technologies.
  • Develop system-level specifications and contribute to technology roadmaps and product strategy.
  • Work with semiconductor and photonics partners to evaluate technology feasibility, performance, scalability, and manufacturability.
  • Support prototype development, system validation, and characterization of high-speed optical links.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience with Ethernet, PCIe, CXL, UCIe, or proprietary chip-to-chip interconnects.
  • Experience with 112G PAM4 or higher-speed SerDes; experience with 224G/448G architectures is highly desirable.
  • Experience with advanced semiconductor packaging, chiplets, interposers, or 2.5D/3D integration.
  • Experience with optical I/O at the package or die level.
  • Experience with photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and/or silicon photonics.
  • Understanding of laser and emitter technologies, including VCSELs, DFB/EML lasers, and emerging microLED-based optical sources.
  • Experience developing technology roadmaps and evaluating emerging semiconductor/photonics technologies.
  • Experience taking an interconnect technology from architecture through prototype and production.

About the Company

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