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Optical Interconnect System Integration and Qualification Engineer

AMD· Engineering
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Santa Clara, CA$189.6k - $284.4kFull-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Lead system-level integration, validation, and qualification of next-generation optical and high-speed electrical interconnects for AI scale-out/scale-up platforms at AMD. Hands-on transceiver qualification across optics, SerDes, SI/PI, firmware, ASICs, boards, and platform architectures with a focus on 400G/800G/1.6T interconnects and PAM4 per-lane links.

Responsibilities

  • Lead optical transceiver and cable qualification activities at both module and system levels for high-speed AMD platforms.
  • Develop and execute qualification plans for 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical transceivers, DACs, AECs, and related interconnect technologies.
  • Perform electrical, optical, protocol, and system-level validation of 100G and 200G per-lane PAM4 links.
  • Drive host-side SerDes optimization, including equalization tuning, margining, BER testing, eye analysis, FEC evaluation, and link stability characterization.
  • Support system-level integration of pluggable optics, onboard optics, co-packaged optics, and emerging interconnect technologies.
  • Debug and resolve complex issues spanning ASICs, boards, connectors, cages, cables, optical modules, firmware, diagnostics, and software layers.
  • Validate compliance with industry specifications including CMIS, MSA requirements, management interfaces, diagnostics, memory maps, and module state machines.
  • Perform optical and electrical characterization using advanced laboratory equipment such as DCA-X, BERTs, real-time oscilloscopes, optical spectrum analyzers, optical power meters, and compliance tools.
  • Collaborate with SI/PI teams to evaluate channel performance, jitter margin, signal integrity, power integrity, and overall link behavior.
  • Provide hands-on support during platform bring-up, characterization, compliance testing, and root-cause investigations.
  • Partner with ASIC, firmware, diagnostics, software, and platform teams to improve validation methodologies, automation frameworks, and debug workflows.
  • Develop Python-based automation solutions for test execution, data collection, analysis, characterization, and reporting.
  • Drive issue resolution and qualification closure with external optics vendors and ecosystem partners.
  • Influence future platform architectures by providing recommendations on optics selection, SerDes requirements, thermal considerations, power constraints, and integration tradeoffs.
  • Document qualification results, risk assessments, recommendations, and technical findings for engineering and executive reviews.

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of experience in optical networking, high-speed data communications, hardware validation, SerDes validation, or system-level interconnect qualification.
  • Deep hands-on experience with 100G and 200G per-lane optical transceivers and high-speed interconnect solutions.
  • Expertise with QSFP-DD, QSFP112, OSFP, 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical technologies.
  • Strong understanding of optical transceiver architectures and their impact on overall system performance.
  • Experience with host-side SerDes tuning, including TX/RX equalization, eye diagrams, jitter analysis, BER testing, FEC, link training, and margin characterization.
  • Familiarity with industry specifications including IEEE, OIF, CMIS, SFF-8636, and related MSA standards.
  • Experience with I2C-based module management interfaces, diagnostics, alarms, memory maps, state machines, and module control sequencing.
  • Hands-on experience with DCA, BERT, real-time oscilloscopes, OSA, optical power meters, VNA/TDR systems, and compliance test infrastructure.
  • Strong understanding of Signal Integrity (SI) and Power Integrity (PI) fundamentals, including insertion loss, return loss, crosstalk, jitter, eye closure, channel margin, and power-rail noise.
  • Experience working across both host-side and module-side aspects of high-speed optical and electrical links.
  • Proven track record supporting system bring-up and debug across ASIC, board, firmware, software, optics, and platform teams.
  • Python programming skills for automation, data analysis, visualization, and reporting.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate complex cross-disciplinary issues.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical findings to engineering teams and senior leadership.
  • Experience collaborating with optics vendors, customers, and ecosystem partners.
  • Exposure to next-generation technologies such as silicon photonics, co-packaged optics, onboard optics, co-packaged copper, near-package optics (NPO), and external-laser-source architectures is highly desirable.

Skills

Required:Optical transceiversSerDes tuningCMIS and MSA standardsPython automation

Benefits

  • Benefits offered are described at AMD benefits at a glance.
Last updated Oct 22, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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