> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/4365308-optical-communications-team-lead](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/4365308-optical-communications-team-lead). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Optical Communications Team Lead - **Company:** BRIGHT SILICON TECHNOLOGIES, INC. - **Location:** Pleasanton, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $175,000.0 - $250,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Algorithm Design, Systems Engineering, Modems, Data Transport Utility, Embedded Software, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Mesh Networking, Systems Integration - **Published:** October 5, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=331d15d8f94e3ad7 ## About the Role * BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or a related field * Hands-on experience building optical communications systems (lasercom, FSO, optical inter-satellite links, or fiber-coupled optical transceivers), from design through integration and test * Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through complex hardware/software integration, as a team lead, principal engineer, program lead, or manager * Strong systems-level understanding of a communications link: link budgets, modem and physical-layer concepts, and how the optical, electronic, and software pieces interact * Experience taking a system from prototype to a deployable product * Ability to guide engineers outside their home discipline and build a team from scratch * U.S. Person status (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual), as the role involves CUI and ITAR material, * Experience with SDA optical standards, JLIS/OIC2, or multi-waveform lasercom architectures * Experience integrating optical payloads into airborne pods, aircraft, or satellites * Familiarity with qualification of government payloads ## Description Bright Silicon Technologies (BST) is replacing vulnerable RF links and bulky mechanical gimbals with solid-state optical solutions. We are defining a new era in lasercoms, going from single-point static links to multi-point agile networks. Our flagship product, OCTANE (Optical Communication Terminal for Advanced NEtworking), is an un-jammable, RF-silent free-space optical terminal delivering secure, high-bandwidth data transport across airborne platforms and ground vehicles and stations, enabling dense mesh networks on high mobility platforms. We're looking for a technical program leader to take OCTANE from an advanced lab prototype to live airborne demonstrations, including integration into the Air Force. You'll build and lead a team of about six engineers (modem/DSP, FPGA and embedded firmware, optoelectronic hardware, and PAT controls), own the terminal-level architecture and schedule, and make sure the modem, electronics, and our solid-state beam-steering front end (the Lightfield Directing Array) work together as one link. You own how it all comes together and you bring the optical communications know-how to guide the team., * Lead the OCTANE program technically: roadmap, milestones, risk management, and customer and partner engagement. * Build, hire, and mentor a team of ~6 engineers, many of them strong in their own discipline but new to optical communications. * Own the terminal architecture and link budget, and define the interfaces between the optical front end, the fiber-coupled back end, and the modem. * Work with the modem lead and team on waveform, FEC and multi-waveform strategy that meets SDA and defense interoperability standards. * Lead terminal integration and test, including lab validation, environmental qualification, and flight demonstrations. * Coordinate with the optical and controls team on PAT and adaptive optics at the system level (requirements and performance, not algorithm design). * Bridge R&D, systems engineering, and production to transition OCTANE to scaled manufacturing and new optical comms architectures.