Job Title: Field Applications Engineer (FAE) – PCIe/CXL Optical Interconnects in Server Environments
Location
80% in person at our Waltham, MA office – Some work from home days are acceptable
20% Travel to customers around the US. Occasional travel to Europe and Asia.
Overview
At Lightelligence, we’re committed to building a new optoelectronic computing paradigm, delivering powerful, efficient, and sustainable computing solutions that help build a smarter world. Our optical compute and interconnect products power some of the world’s leading companies, and we’re just getting started!
We are seeking a Field Applications Engineer with experience troubleshooting servers, embedded platforms, and high-speed interconnects. This role is part lab, part customer-facing and hands-on, requiring system-level debugging skills across retimers, switches, endpoints, firmware, and platform infrastructure.
While prior experience with optical interconnect technologies is a strong plus, deep optical expertise is not required. The successful candidate will bring skills in server bring-up and interconnect troubleshooting and will be comfortable learning optical-specific concepts as needed.
Both new graduates and those with prior industry experience are encouraged to apply.
Key Responsibilities
Customer & Field Support
- Serve as the technical interface to customers for optical interconnect solutions used in PCIe and CXL server architectures
- Hands-on troubleshooting of system-level issues, including link bring-up failures, enumeration problems, performance degradation, and interoperability challenges
- Debug issues spanning optical modules, retimers, switches, endpoints, CPUs, BIOS/UEFI, firmware, and operating systems
- Reproduce customer issues in internal lab environments
Technical Debug & Analysis
- Analyze PCIe/CXL link training, equalization, and error behavior using protocol analyzers, system logs, and firmware diagnostics
- Troubleshoot issues related to:
- Link-detect and linkup
- Link width and speed negotiation
- Lane margining and signal integrity (from a system/debug perspective)
- Reset, power sequencing, clocking, and hot-plug behavior
- Understand how optical interconnects integrate into traditional electrical PCIe/CXL topologies, and debug issues preventing end-to-end operation
Pre-Sales & Technical Enablement
- Support customers during architecture discussions, design reviews, and early platform bring-up
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- 1+ years of relevant engineering experience in applications engineering, systems engineering, hardware engineering, validation/test engineering, server platforms, or a related technical role; relevant internship or academic lab experience may also be considered
- Good understanding of optical interconnect and optical modules
- Basic understanding of PCIe architecture and high-speed interfaces, with interest in developing deeper expertise in PCIe and CXL technologies
- Some hands-on experience working with server, embedded, or computer hardware platforms
- Familiarity with one or more of the following:
- PCIe devices, switches, or retimers
- CPUs, chipsets, memory, or other server components
- BIOS/UEFI and firmware
- Linux or other operating-system-level diagnostic tools
- Basic troubleshooting and debugging skills, with the ability to methodically isolate hardware, firmware, software, or system-level issues
- Ability and willingness to learn new technologies, including optical interconnects, PCIe, and CXL
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with customers and internal engineering teams
- Comfortable working hands-on with hardware in a lab environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with optical interconnects, optical modules
- Experience supporting hyperscalers, OEMs, or ODMs
- Familiarity with:
- CXL.mem use cases
- Linux kernel PCIe/CXL debug tools
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Key Attributes
- System-level, methodical problem solver
- Comfortable working hands-on with customer hardware
- Able to bridge electrical and optical perspectives during debug
Position and Benefits
- Target salary depends on experience and is competitive with similar positions
- Employee equity plan
- Full health coverage
- 401K with employer matching
- Free lunch
