Staff Optical Engineer – Optical Interconnect & Optical Communications in London

About OLIX AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. OLIX is building this next paradigm; the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) achieves performance and energy efficiency that is impossible to match from existing chips.

The Role: OLIX is developing next-generation optical interconnect architectures for AI data centers, including chip-to-chip, inter-tray, intra-tray, and rack-to-rack optical links. We are seeking Principal and Staff Optical Interconnect Engineers with deep experience in optical communications and co-packaged optics (CPO) to help design and deliver scalable, high-bandwidth interconnect systems. The candidate will be joining a dynamic fast paced team here intent on breaking all the rules and old paradigms. This optics role sits at the intersection of optics, ASICs, high-speed electronics, packaging, and algorithms. You will work on tightly integrated electro-optic systems optimized for bandwidth density, ultra-low latency, power efficiency, thermal performance, reliability, and high-volume manufacturability. We are looking for an optical engineer who is equally comfortable discussing link budgets and Maxwell’s equations and physically aligning fiber arrays. Someone who moves fluidly between simulation, lab validation, and manufacturing constraints. A builder who enjoys solving real implementation problems, and not just designing on paper. A technical leader who stays close to the details. We are hiring at both Senior and Staff levels as we build a world-class optical systems team.

Responsibilities:

• Optical Interconnect & CPO Architecture: Define high-bandwidth optical interconnect systems spanning 1. In-tray (chip-to-chip), 2. Intra-tray, and 3. Rack-to-rack links. Contribute to co-packaged optics (CPO) architectures integrating photonics intimately to high-performance ASICs for optimized latency and connectivity. Develop scalable link strategies across fiber, integrated waveguides, and planar-light-wave circuits (PLC). Own system-level link budgets including insertion loss, coupling loss, bandwidth, BER, power, and thermal margins and requirements for lasers and receivers. Balance bandwidth density, power consumption, reliability, and serviceability constraints.
• Co-Design: Collaborate closely with opto-mechanical, ASIC, mixed-signal, RF, and DSP teams on electro-optic interface definitions. Participate in co-optimization of Modulation formats, Equalization strategies, Laser integration approaches, Driver and Receiver architectures. Contribute to system modeling across high-speed VCSELs, optics, detectors, electrical channels, packaging, and signal processing layers. Analyze trade-offs between optical reach, power budget, and electronic complexity. Familiar with state-of-the art rapid optical prototyping tools, especially as it pertains to PLCs and micro-optics.
• Fiber, Waveguides & PLC Systems: Design and optimize high-density fiber-optic interconnects. Develop and analyze integrated waveguide-based links. Design Planar Lightwave Circuits (PLC) for routing, splitting, tapping, multiplexing, in/out coupling, and signal distribution. Optimize fiber-to-waveguide and fiber-to-package coupling strategies for both multimode and single mode waveguides. Address packaging constraints including alignment tolerances and connector strategies.
• CPO Packaging, Thermal & Reliability Considerations: Contribute to on-package and near-package photonic integration strategies. Evaluate thermal interactions between ASICs and photonic devices. Address serviceability, repairability, and field-replaceability trade-offs in CPO architectures. Drive tolerance and reliability analysis for high-density optical packaging. Partner with mechanical and thermal teams to ensure robust system integration.
• High-Speed Validation & Production Readiness: Define validation strategies for Tbps-class optical links based on various multiplexing schemes (spatial, wavelength, modulation). Analyze insertion loss, return loss, crosstalk, bandwidth, and noise performance. Correlate system simulations with lab and pre-production results. Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) for co-packaged and high-density optical assemblies. Support pilot builds and production ramp, resolving yield and variability issues.

Skills & Experience:

• PhD in Optics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field with significant industry experience, or Master’s degree with 6–10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Demonstrated experience shipping optical communication systems into production.
• Experience with high-speed optical communication systems (telecom or datacom).
• Familiarity with co-packaged optics (CPO) or on and near-package photonic integration.
• Experience with high-bandwidth transmit/receive architectures.
• Understanding of link budgets, BER performance, and noise mechanisms in dense environments.
• Strong background in Fiber optics, Integrated waveguides, Planar Lightwave Circuits (PLC), and free-space optics.
• Experience with high-density coupling strategies.
• Familiarity with photonic packaging challenges at scale.
• Experience collaborating across optics, ASIC, RF, DSP, and packaging domains.
• Ability to reason about trade-offs across optical, electrical, and algorithmic layers.
• Strong system-level modeling skills.
• Experience applying Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles to optical systems.
• Understanding of tolerance-driven yield impacts.
• Experience working with foundries, OSATs, or contract manufacturers.
• Exposure to hyperscale data center reliability requirements is a plus.

Compensation & Equity:

• Competitive Salary: £162,000 to £198,000 commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.
• Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options. You’re not just joining the mission; you’re owning a piece of it.
• Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer a £24k annual Living-Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.

Health & Wellbeing:

• Premium Healthcare: Comprehensive BUPA medical and dental cover, including Medical History Disregarded (MHD), for complete peace of mind.
• Time Off: 25 days of annual leave, plus all UK bank holidays.

The Workspace & Tech:

• Elite Hardware: M4 Macs come as standard, with M4 Pro upgrades for our engineering team. We will provide whatever you need to do your best work.
• Optimal Environment: High-spec noise-cancelling headphones and a fully ergonomic workstation designed for deep focus.
• Rapid Prototyping: Access to our high-performance 3D printing lab for work, experimentation, and personal creative projects.

Life at the Office:

• Chef-prepared meals: if you need to work late.
• Caffeine on Us: We’ve got you covered with a tab at our favourite local coffee shop.

Relocation & Global Mobility:

• Visa Sponsorship: We hire the best in the world. We offer full UK and international visa sponsorship.
• Seamless Relocation: Whether you’re moving across the country or across the globe, our dedicated relocation partner provides funding and concierge support to get you settled.

Due to U.S. export control regulations, candidates’ eligibility to work at OLIX depends on their most recent citizenship or permanent residency status. We are generally unable to consider applicants whose most recent citizenship or permanent residence is in certain restricted countries (currently including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Venezuela). Applicants who have subsequently obtained citizenship or permanent residency in another country not subject to these restrictions may still be eligible.