---
title: 'Senior High-Speed Photonic Design Engineer at Taara'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-high-speed-photonic-design-engineer-taara-sunnyvale-0efpz5qbbqra'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Senior High-Speed Photonic Design Engineer at Taara

- **Company:** Taara
- **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-09-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/taaraconnect/db8d03db-585a-493a-a6d6-41bdd4b2d201

## Job description

## About the Team

Born at X, Google's Moonshot Factory, Taara is on a mission to connect billions of people who lack abundant and affordable internet by pioneering high-throughput, long-range free-space optical communication (FSOC). Our links use eye-safe lasers propagating between two terminals to transmit high-speed data wirelessly. Lead the charge in bringing our groundbreaking wireless optical communication to the world. Join us to light the way toward bridging the digital divide and illuminating the future.

## About the Role

Taara is seeking a Senior High-Speed Photonic Design Engineer to work on next-generation photonic and electronic integrated modules as part of the R&D team developing cutting-edge wireless optical communication systems based on integrated optical phased arrays. The successful candidate will own photonic transmitter and receiver architecture, high-speed photonic modulator and detector design, and RF/microwave transmission line design within the very-large-scale photonic integrated circuits (PICs) developed at Taara. The role requires deep expertise in 35-70 GHz RF and photonic design — including demonstrated design and layout ownership on commercial foundry tapeouts — as well as extensive experience with the intricacies of modulation formats and communication link budgets. We are looking for a highly motivated individual who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys working in a small, dynamic team environment, and has a passion for solving challenging problems that lead to high-impact technological advances. How you will make 10x impact:

- Own and deliver record-breaking high-speed photonic integrated circuit designs.
- Contribute to system-level optimization and product strategy.
- Demonstrate a strong motivation to make the world a better place through technology and a desire to be part of the team making this happen.

What you should have:

- Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, or a related field.
- Five (5) or more years of relevant industry experience with demonstrated achievements in photonic circuit designs.
- Extensive expertise in high-speed photonic modulator and detector design.
- Extensive expertise in RF/microwave design.
- Expertise in the intricacies of optical modulation formats and photonic link modeling.
- Experience with RF/microwave design software (HFSS, ADS or equivalent).
- Experience with photonic device simulation software (Lumerical or equivalent).
- Experience with optical link simulation software (VPIphotonics, Lumerical Interconnect, or equivalent).
- Hands-on experience with multiple tapeouts at commercial foundries.

It would be great if you also had these:

- Experience in photonic spectral filter design.
- Experience with Python, Git, and gdsfactory.
- Experience with Design Rule Checks (DRC) and Layout Versus Schematic (LVS).
- Experience with commercial layout verification software (Calibre or equivalent).
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior external partners.
- Hands-on experience in advancing a product from the prototype phase to the final production stage.
- Hybrid/Onsite in Sunnyvale, CA is preferred. Remote can be considered as well.
- Relocation can be provided.

The US salary range for this full-time position is $220,000 - $270,000 (inclusive of bonus at target) + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

## About Taara

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Taara uses invisible beams of light to deliver high-speed, low-latency wireless internet connectivity, acting as a fiber alternative for hard-to-reach areas.
- **Entity Type**: Private (spun out from X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory in March 2025; backed by Series X Capital, with Alphabet retaining a minority stake)
- **Headquarters**: Sunnyvale, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2025 (spin-out); predecessor Project Taara began in 2017
- **Founders**: Mahesh Krishnaswamy

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Telecommunications technology / Free-space optical communications
- **Target customers**: B2B – mobile operators, wireless ISPs, fiber operators, enterprises, smart city operators, government/emergency response, and innovation partners (satellite operators, photonics companies)
- **Mission**: “Bringing high-speed, affordable and abundant connectivity to people everywhere using beams of light.”

## Products & Services
- **Taara Lightbridge**: Free-space optical terminal delivering up to 20 Gbps over line-of-sight distances up to 20 km with carrier-grade availability. Used for backhaul, fronthaul, and mesh.
- **Taara Lightbridge Pro**: Enhanced version offering “five nines” (99.999%) availability for mission-critical networks.
- **Taara Beam**: First product built on Taara's Integrated Photonics Platform, designed for expansion with flexibility in a smaller form factor.
- **Integrated Photonics Platform**: Silicon photonics chip that uses light to transmit data through the air, enabling miniaturized terminals and reduced mechanical complexity.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding – undisclosed round led by Series X Capital at spin-out (2025); Alphabet retains minority stake
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Series X Capital, Alphabet (via X Development); strategic partners include T‑Mobile, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Econet Group, Digicomm International
- **Growth Signals**: Deployments in over 20 countries across Africa, India, North America, and Southeast Asia; recognized as TIME Best Invention of 2024 and Fast Company World Changing Ideas Award; successful live events connectivity (Coachella, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta with T‑Mobile)

## Competitive Advantages
- **No trenching or spectrum licensing**: Light beams travel through air, avoiding costly fiber deployment and radio spectrum constraints.
- **Rapid deployment**: Can be deployed in hours instead of months – ideal for disaster recovery and temporary capacity.
- **Silicon photonics platform**: Proprietary chip technology that shrinks hardware and lowers cost, enabling mass scalability.
- **Fiber-class performance**: Delivers symmetrical 20 Gbps+ with ultra-low latency, competing directly with fiber in capacity.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expand photonics-based connectivity** beyond telecom into data centers, industrial campuses, and satellite communications.
- **Scale manufacturing** of its Integrated Photonics Platform to serve global demand.
- **Deepen partnerships** with mobile operators, internet service providers, and government entities to close the digital divide.

## Why Work Here
- **Innovation pedigree**: Born inside X (Google’s Moonshot Factory) – a culture of tackling world-scale challenges with ambitious technology.
- **Mission-driven impact**: Work directly on bringing affordable internet to underserved communities and disaster zones.
- **Cutting-edge tech**: Hands-on with advanced photonics, optical engineering, and system-level hardware/software design.
- **Growth phase**: Recently spun out as an independent company – opportunity to shape engineering culture and processes from an early stage.
- **Hybrid/office**: Based in Sunnyvale, CA; roles range from hardware engineering (optical, mechanical, FPGA) to software (backend, Linux, cloud) and go-to-market (sales, customer success). Per company careers page: open roles include Principal Optical Engineer, Director of Product Management, Senior Backend Software Engineer, etc.
- **Perks & culture**: Described as “a new technological era” with a focus on collaboration, rapid iteration, and global impact.

## Sources
1. [taaraconnect.com](https://www.taaraconnect.com/) – Homepage product details
2. [taaraconnect.com/careers](https://www.taaraconnect.com/careers) – Open roles and engineering focus
3. [taaraconnect.com/about](https://www.taaraconnect.com/about) – Leadership, history, milestones
4. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taara_(company)) – Company overview, spin-out, funding, deployments

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