Optical - Director, OE Development (DOD)

Eliyan is building NuLink, a proprietary die-to-die chiplet interconnect fabric purpose-built for AI infrastructure at hyperscale.  As Eliyan expands into co-packaged optics (CPO), the Director (or higher-level depending on experience) of Optical Product Development owns the product strategy for integrating third-party optical components — VCSELs, photodetectors, lenses, and fiber interfaces — with Eliyan's silicon die at the package level. This role requires deep familiarity with semiconductor fabrication and assembly processes, as all optical integration decisions are constrained by and executed within a semiconductor packaging environment. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES • Define optical product strategy centered on die-level co-packaging of external optical components with Eliyan's silicon. • Own the optical component selection and qualification process (VCSELs, PDs, lenses, fiber connectors), evaluating vendors against system performance and assembly compatibility requirements. • Drive assembly-aware optical product specifications — accounting for flip-chip tolerances, solder reflow constraints, alignment accuracy, and packaging design rules. • Engage silicon process and design teams on equal footing, translating optical requirements into process-compatible constraints and vice versa. • Navigate optical-electrical co-design tradeoffs within foundry process boundaries (e.g., TSMC, GlobalFoundries, or equivalent). • Serve as the primary interface between optical and silicon teams (analog/digital), ensuring bidirectional feed-in/feedback between optical integration requirements and silicon design. • Partner with Marketing to define product positioning, customer-facing optical specifications, and roadmap priorities. • Report execution status and product milestones to the COA QUALIFICATIONS • 12+ years in optical systems or photonic integration, with substantial hands-on experience in semiconductor fabrication, assembly, or advanced packaging environments. • Solid working knowledge of semiconductor fabrication processes — FEOL/BEOL concepts, lithography constraints, metal layer stackups, and how process design rules affect optical integration feasibility. • Deep understanding of co-packaging architectures — flip-chip bonding, micro-bump interconnects, interposer-based integration, or equivalent. • Experience qualifying and integrating third-party optical components (VCSELs, PDs, optical subassemblies) into semiconductor packages. • Familiarity with packaging design rules and their implications for optical alignment yield. • Experience navigating optical-electrical co-design tradeoffs within foundry process boundaries. • Strong cross-functional communication skills across silicon, packaging, and marketing teams. • Standards-body experience (IEEE 802.3, OIF, CPO Consortium) a plus.