Job Details

We are an innovative integrated photonics organization developing advanced hardware solutions that enable breakthroughs in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and remote sensing. Our technology is designed to operate at room temperature and low power, helping make next-generation systems more accessible and scalable.

We are seeking a high-caliber Applications Engineer to support a growing Photonics Division. This role blends hands-on laboratory development with customer-facing technical engagement, offering exposure to both cutting-edge R&D and real-world deployment.

About the Role

In this position, you will spend approximately:

• 70% of your time on-site in Santa Barbara, split between the lab and office, developing proof-of-concept demonstrations and supporting customers
• 30% of your time traveling domestically to customer sites and trade shows to showcase technology and support critical design wins

You will act as a technical bridge between customers, sales, and engineering, helping translate real-world application needs into successful photonics solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Application Development & Demonstration

• Identify and pursue high-value applications in lasers, photonic devices, and optical sensing
• Extract and synthesize customer technical requirements into tailored photonics solutions
• Design, build, and characterize hardware testbeds and system-level demonstrations
• Benchmark product performance against incumbent technologies
• Author application notes, whitepapers, and technical documentation
• Present application results internally, to customers, and within the broader technical community
• Research emerging technology trends to identify new application opportunities

Sales & Customer Support

• Serve as the primary technical resource for sales teams
• Participate in high-stakes customer meetings to provide technical credibility
• Support customer system bring-up, deployment, and troubleshooting
• Lead collaborative technical discussions to align capabilities with customer requirements
• Maintain feedback loops with engineering via bug tracking and feature requests

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Physics, Optics, Photonics, or related field
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in photonics, semiconductor lasers, optoelectronics, or optical sensing hardware
• Strong foundation in semiconductor laser physics and integrated photonic components
• Experience supporting complex technical sales cycles and design wins
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter able to work independently while collaborating across teams
• Willingness to travel domestically (~30%)