Staff/Principal Electrical Engineer

Staff/Principal Electrical Engineer — Circuit Design & Low-Noise/High-Speed PCB Level: This posting spans Staff and Principal levels. Candidates will be placed based on demonstrated experience and scope of technical ownership (see Experience bands below). Job Summary Xscape Photonics is seeking a Staff/Principal Electrical Engineer to own the electrical architecture of our optical transceiver modules, spanning low-noise analog/control-loop design and high-speed digital/PCB design. You will direct a dedicated PCB layout engineer from component placement through manufacturing data, and serve as a deep technical contributor on mixed-signal, power, and high-speed design decisions. You will work cross-functionally with photonics, firmware, test, NPI, and supply chain teams to bring next-generation transceiver hardware from architecture to production. Job Location: Bay Area (on-site required) Responsibilities • Circuit Schematic & Electrical Architecture • Own end-to-end electrical architecture for control and validation boards supporting photonic integrated circuits and transceiver modules. • Develop detailed circuit schematics, providing input and informal review on the work of other EE team members as needed. • Collaborate with system architects, photonics engineers, and firmware engineers to align electrical design with overall system goals. • Utilize industry-standard schematic capture tools (OrCAD, PADS, Altium Designer). • Mixed-Signal & Power Design • Architect low-noise analog circuits, including noise budgeting and grounding/shielding strategy for sensitive photonic control loops. • Design and optimize power delivery for high-current, high-thermal-load conditions, including power distribution network (PDN) design and power efficiency optimization. • Apply extensive experience in power supply topologies (buck, boost, LDO) and EMI filtering. • Integrate MCU, SoC, ASIC, and FPGA components into board-level designs. • Use SPICE simulation to validate analog and power circuit performance ahead of layout. • High-Speed Digital Design • Design high-speed digital circuits and interfaces, applying sound impedance-controlled routing and high-speed serial interface practices. • Guide PCB layout for signal integrity, power distribution, and thermal management on complex, high-density boards. • Component Selection & Vendor Engagement • Select and evaluate components for performance, reliability, availability, and cost-effectiveness. • Develop second-source strategies and manage long-lead/EOL component risk. • Evaluate cost tradeoffs in component and design choices. • Work directly with vendors to test and qualify new components using evaluation kits. • PCB Layout Direction • Work closely with the PCB layout engineer across the full layout cycle — from component placement through manufacturing data release, including DFM. • Guide the layout engineer to meet electrical, thermal, and mechanical requirements: floor plan, routing optimization, layer usage, cost reduction, and thermal improvement. • Drive design-for-excellence practices across DFM, DFT (design for test), DFA (design for assembly), and DFR (design for reliability). • Hands-on PCB layout experience is a plus but not required. • Product Lifecycle & Test Collaboration • Own electrical design through the full product lifecycle, from proof-of-concept and prototype builds through Design Validation (DV) and Production Validation (PV). • Work closely with Test Engineers to guide test procedure development across EVT, DV, and PV stages, including test item definition and pass/fail criteria. • Support NPI and production readiness through DFX, test planning, and procurement coordination. • Collaborate with testing and validation teams to identify and resolve performance or reliability issues at each stage. • Supply Chain Collaboration • Partner with the supply chain team on component procurement planning, including second-source and EOL risk mitigation. • Plan PCB procurement, including fabrication and assembly, in coordination with supply chain and NPI. • Documentation & Design Governance • Own and approve design review documentation, including schematics, BOM, and assembly drawings. • Review and gate the PCB layout engineer's deliverables against electrical, thermal, and manufacturing requirements. • Manage design release and part number generation in Arena PLM. • Maintain accurate records of design changes, iterations, and testing results. • Cross-Functional Communication • Communicate clearly with cross-functional stakeholders, including firmware, photonics, mechanical, test, NPI, and supply chain teams, as well as non-technical stakeholders. Qualifications Education & Experience • Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field. • Experience requirement (Staff floor to Principal range, based on scope demonstrated): • BS: 10–15 years • MS: 8–12 years • PhD: 5–9 years • Proven track record owning electrical architecture for complex, mixed-signal boards, ideally including control and validation boards for photonic integrated circuits or transceiver applications. Technical Skills • Extensive mixed-signal design experience, including low-noise analog, high-current design, high thermal load management, power efficiency optimization, and power distribution network (PDN) design. • Strong experience with power supply topologies (buck, boost, LDO) and EMI filtering. • Experience integrating MCU, SoC, ASIC, and FPGA platforms into board-level designs. • Proficiency with SPICE simulation for circuit-level validation. • Strong understanding of high-speed digital design: impedance-controlled routing and high-speed serial interfaces. • Proficiency in industry-standard schematic and PCB tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, OrCAD, PADS). • Experience with PLM tools (Arena) for design release and part number management. • Knowledge of PCB fabrication processes, DFM, DFT, DFA, and DFR practices. • Firmware experience is a plus. • Hands-on PCB layout experience is a plus but not required. Communication & Problem-Solving • Excellent written and verbal communication; able to convey complex technical tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot circuit- and system-level issues.