Applications Engineer, Photonics

QCi is seeking a high-caliber Applications Engineer to support our Photonics Division. This role combines laboratory development with high-impact field engagement. You will spend approximately 70% of your time at our Santa Barbara facility, split between the lab—developing proof-of-concept demonstrations—and the office, providing technical support to new and existing customers. The remaining 30% of your time will involve domestic travel to customer sites and trade shows to showcase our technology and secure critical design wins. The ideal candidate possesses a sophisticated balance of technical expertise in photonic principles, hands-on hardware/software integration skills, and the professional soft skills necessary to cultivate long-term customer relationships and brand trust.

Responsibilities

Identify and pursue high-value applications and programs in lasers, photonic devices, and optical sensing systems; Extract and synthesize technical requirements from potential customers to provide tailored guidance on QCi-based photonic solutions; Design, construct, and characterize hardware testbeds and system-level demonstrations that mirror real-world customer environments; Quantify and document the performance advantages of QCi photonics products against incumbent technologies; Author high-quality application notes, whitepapers, and technical documentation to educate the market on specific use cases; Present validated application results to internal peers, customers, and the broader scientific community through industry publications; Research emerging technology sectors to identify 'blue ocean' opportunities for QCi hardware insertion; Serve as the primary technical resource for sales staff regarding product specifications, performance limits, and usage; Join sales leadership in high-stakes customer meetings to provide deep technical credibility; Provide expert on-site assistance for customer bring-up, system implementation, and complex troubleshooting; Lead technical brainstorming sessions with customers to map QCi capabilities to their unique mission requirements; Maintain an active bug tracker and feature request list, coordinating with the Engineering team to prioritize fixes and future product enhancement

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics, Photonics, or a related technical discipline; 5+ years of hands-on experience in photonics, semiconductor lasers, optoelectronics, or optical sensing hardware; Demonstrated ability to secure design wins within complex technical sales cycles; Strong fluency in semiconductor laser physics and integrated photonic components; Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence technical stakeholders and executives alike; A self-starter capable of driving projects independently while maintaining seamless integration with the broader team