Senior Tech Lead – Optical Manufacturing

About Rain Tree Photonics

At Rain Tree Photonics, we are building next-generation optical engines for co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-packaged optics (NPO) to break the bandwidth and power bottlenecks in AI infrastructure.

Our silicon photonic ICs power 200G/lane and beyond interconnects, enabling scalable, energy-efficient connectivity for AI data centers.

The Role

As a Senior Tech Lead – Optical Manufacturing, you will drive the development, optimization, and scale-up of optical manufacturing processes across assembly, alignment, packaging, and test.

You will play a critical role in transitioning products from development to high-volume manufacturing, working at the intersection of optical engineering, process development, and production. This role will partner closely with internal engineering teams and external manufacturing partners to deliver scalable, high-yield optical systems.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the transition of optical products from prototype to volume manufacturing (NPI → HVM)
• Develop and optimize optical assembly, alignment, packaging, and test processes
• Drive improvements in yield, throughput, cycle time, and cost
• Establish manufacturing KPIs aligned to product and delivery milestones

• Lead development of precision optical alignment (active/passive) processes
• Optimize optical performance metrics such as coupling efficiency, insertion loss, and reliability
• Define and standardize process flows, SOPs, and manufacturing documentation

• Define, select, and qualify manufacturing equipment and tooling
• Drive automation initiatives across alignment, inspection, and testing workflows
• Collaborate with vendors and partners for custom tool development and process integration

• Work closely with optical, process, and packaging engineering teams for product transfer
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM)and Design for Test (DFT) initiatives
• Interface with external partners (foundries, OSATs, assembly/test vendors) for execution and scale

• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and yield improvement initiatives
• Implement process control, quality systems, and in-line inspection methodologies
• Drive continuous improvement across defect reduction, reliability, and process stability

• Mentor and guide engineers and technicians in optical manufacturing processes
• Build strong technical depth within the team and drive a culture of execution and accountability
• Lead through influence across cross-functional and global teams

• 8–12+ years of experience in optical/photonics manufacturing or process engineering
• Bachelor’s / Master’s / PhD in Optics, Photonics, Physics, or related field
• Strong expertise in optical alignment, packaging, and testing
• Proven experience in scaling products from development to manufacturing (NPI to HVM)
• Experience working with external manufacturing partners and suppliers
• Strong understanding of manufacturing KPIs: yield, throughput, cycle time, and quality
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, startup environment with high ownership

• Experience with silicon photonics, PICs, or optical interconnect systems
• Exposure to cleanroom manufacturing environments
• Familiarity with automation, machine vision, and precision assembly systems
• Experience with Lean / Six Sigma methodologies

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge photonics and AI infrastructure technology
• High-impact role in scaling manufacturing for next-generation systems
• Collaborative environment with world-class engineering teams