Senior Staff Optics Engineer, Network Qualification & Strategy

Crusoe is building the physical and software backbone that powers the world's most demanding AI workloads. Our networking team designs and operates the fabrics that connect thousands of GPUs into unified compute clusters, and increasingly the optical transport that connects those clusters to each other, to our PoPs, and to our customers. As Sr. Staff Optical Network Architect, you will define and build Crusoe's optical network strategy and architecture from the ground up, spanning data center interconnect (DCI), metro and long-haul DWDM, and the backbone that carries scale-across AI training and inference traffic between campuses. This is the first dedicated optical architecture role at Crusoe. This is a full-time position reporting into Network Engineering.

Responsibilities

Define Crusoe's multi-year optical strategy and reference architecture across campus DCI, metro, regional, and long-haul segments, including line system design, ROADM topology, protection and restoration model, and failure domains; Architect the transport layer for inter-campus and backbone growth from multi-Tbps today toward hundreds of Tbps, evaluating 400ZR/ZR+, 800ZR, and embedded coherent transponders against reach, density, power, and cost per bit; Lead technical evaluation and selection of optical line systems and transponders, driving RFPs, lab validation, multi-vendor interoperability testing, and second-source strategy; Partner with infrastructure, real estate, and procurement on dark fiber, IRU, and wavelength acquisition, including route diversity, fiber characterization, and build-versus-buy decisions; Define how the optical layer is modeled in source of truth, provisioned, and monitored through open interfaces and vendor controllers; Own optical-layer failure modes end to end and lead RCA for optical incidents; Work with Network Engineering, SDN, data center design, NetOps, finance, and supply chain to align optical capacity with GPU cluster deployments, the backbone roadmap, and construction timelines; Establish optical design standards, engineering documentation, and operational runbooks, and mentor engineers to build out the optical engineering function

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field (Master's preferred); 12+ years of experience in optical transport networking, including 5+ years as an architect or senior technical lead designing production DWDM networks at service provider, hyperscaler, or cloud scale; Deep hands-on expertise with optical platforms, covering design, commissioning, and operational troubleshooting; Strong command of optical fundamentals: OSNR and power budgets, EDFA and Raman amplification, chromatic and polarization mode dispersion, nonlinear impairments, flex-grid spectrum planning, and C+L band systems; Experience with coherent technologies across pluggable (400ZR/ZR+, 800ZR) and embedded transponders, and a clear view of the tradeoffs between IP-over-DWDM and traditional transponder-based architectures; Proven track record defining the architecture and roadmap for an optical network from early stage through scale, including capacity planning and cost-per-bit modeling; Experience leading vendor evaluations, RFPs, and technical negotiations with optical platform vendors and fiber providers; Clear written and verbal communication, with the ability to make and defend architectural decisions with engineering, procurement, and executive stakeholders

Nice to have

Experience building DCI or backbone networks for AI/ML or hyperscale data center environments, including scale-across training traffic between campuses; Experience with open and disaggregated optical systems (open line systems, OpenROADM, TIP OOPT) and alien wavelength or multi-vendor interoperability; Experience automating optical networks with NETCONF/YANG, OpenConfig, gNMI, or TAPI, and integrating optical telemetry into fleet-wide observability; Experience with dark fiber acquisition, IRU negotiations, long-haul route engineering, or subsea systems; Vendor certifications (Ciena OC-P or OC-C, Nokia Optical Network Professional) or participation in OIF, IEEE 802.3, or the OpenROADM MSA

Benefits

Competitive compensation and equity packages; Restricted Stock Units; Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs; Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance; Employer contributions to HSA account; Paid parental leave; Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability; Professional development & tuition reimbursement; Mental health & wellness support; Commuter benefits (parking & transit); Cell phone stipend; 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary; Volunteer time off; Global travel insurance & emergency assistance; Daily meals allowance; Additional perks & programs specific to location