Principal Engineer, Applications
Coherent
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Santa Clara, CA · Posted October 20, 2026
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Where Santa Clara, CA ranks
Where Santa Clara, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for sales pay after cost of living$175k · of 45
- #1Best cities for product pay after cost of living$224k · of 14
- #2Best cities for operations pay after cost of living$173k · of 41
- #2Best cities for marketing pay after cost of living$192k · of 16
- #2Best all-round cities for remote workers in the West Coast85 / 100 · of 39
- #3Best cities for finance pay after cost of living$156k · of 35
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among mechanical engineers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for mechanical engineers: 8% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
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About the job
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Customer Technical Support – 60%
Quick response technical support customer issues or inquiries
Work with internal teams to resolve customer issues and complete Root Cause Analysis
Provide technical support for PLM and Quality team customer interactions
Review PLM and R&D product specifications, providing real-world feedback to new product development
Review and/or propose test scope and detailed plan.
Review with R&D team and conduct any necessary pre-testing to ensure trial success
Perform testing at customer site as required
Customer Demo and Trial Support - 30%
Review and/or propose test scope and detailed plan.
Review with R&D team and conduct any necessary pre-testing to ensure trial success
Perform testing at customer site as required
Technical Training and Documentation – 20%
New product installation and operation training for the front line customer support team
Provide technical Customer Installation and Operating documentation
Education & Experience
M.Sc. or B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Physics
8+ years working experience in optical communication companies as technical support manager or engineer, development engineer or system verification engineer.
Experience with the following technologies: Coherent optical transceivers, DWDM, OTN, optical network architectures, and network management protocols.
Experience investigating field issues and RMA support
Experience using and troubleshooting network management system
Experience in coding Python script is preferred.
Experience in product development is preferred.
Skills
Travel 25% to 33% of time, to meet customer support needs
7x24 on-call support
Strong communication and negotiation skills
Creative, analytical and structured problem-solving capability
Team oriented and a self-starter
Working Conditions
Working conditions typical of a climate controlled and professional office environment. This role routinely requires use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, copiers, filing cabinets, etc.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms
Safety Requirements
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Quality and Environmental Responsibilities
Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Culture Commitment
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:
I ntegrity – Create an Environment of Trust
C ollaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas
A ccountability – Own the Process and the Outcome
R espect – Recognize the Value in Everyone
E nthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work
Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at talentacquisition@coherent.com .
Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!
Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.