Hardware Engineer

About us Salience Labs is building the optical infrastructure that will power the next generation of AI. Our photonic switching technology delivers the high-speed, ultra-low latency networking fabrics AI datacenters need and can’t get anywhere else. We’re a multi-disciplinary team of physicists, engineers, and machine learning specialists on a mission to remove the bottlenecks holding AI infrastructure back. Job Overview As a Hardware Engineer at Salience Labs, you will play a crucial role in designing and testing the electronics that power our hybrid photonic-electronic systems. As an early member of the team, you will contribute directly to our mission of bringing photonic products to high-performance compute systems, particularly those used for AI. The role offers a varied mix of system design, PCB design, system bring-up and qualification, with a significant share of hands-on lab work at our Oxford office. What you’ll be doing • Carry out detailed hardware design, including specification, simulation, schematic capture (using Altium) and component selection. PCB layout experience is a strong advantage • Bring up and test new hardware in the lab, focusing on the electronics and how they interact with photonic elements • Diagnose and resolve issues during hardware bring-up and testing • Characterise new electronic systems and their integration with photonic components • Characterise the mechanical and thermal properties of our systems and their impact on photonic performance • Qualify electronic systems for production, working with external test houses as needed • Work closely with photonics, firmware and test colleagues to turn system requirements into hardware that works first time What we’re looking for • 3+ years of experience in high-speed digital or analogue design, including high-speed discrete analogue-to-digital conversion, high-performance FPGAs and high-speed digital interfaces (including Ethernet and DDR) • 3+ years of experience bringing up and testing new electronic systems • Strong diagnostic skills, including hands-on rework • Comfort working both independently and within small, multidisciplinary teams • Strong technical, organisational and time management skills, with the ability to translate requirements into successful hardware implementations • Drive, motivation and flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment • Experience with PCB layout • Experience working with external vendors for layout, manufacturing, assembly and qualification • Experience characterising the mechanical and thermal properties of electronic systems This is an "on -site" role with 4/5 days in the office required.