Job Description

Title: Senior Optical Systems Test Engineer

Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Education: BS required, PHD/MS preferred

Experience: 7+ years in highly relevant role

Starting Date: Upon availability

Company Overview :

We are pioneering the next generation of optical communications to unlock faster, more efficient AI data centers. Founded by leading photonics pioneers out of UC Santa Barbara, Our game-changing link architecture and photonic integrated circuit designs are ideally suited to deliver coherent links in data center environments where incumbent technologies face fundamental barriers.

Role Overview: Senior Optical Systems Test Engineer

As Senior High-Speed Test and Optical Communication Link Test Engineer you will serve as the technical lead for all high-speed electrical and optical link testing activities. In this senior role, you will own and lead test operations, including test strategy development, execution, automation, team guidance, and cross-functional alignment. Responsibilities include architecting and improving test methodologies for next-generation communication interfaces, ensuring robust performance validation across electrical and optical domains. This role requires deep expertise in high-speed signal integrity, optical component characterization, and advanced instrumentation, along with strong leadership in driving operational excellence within the test organization. This is a high-energy, fastpaced leadership role for someone who thrives on taking complex hardware and photonics programs from concept to demonstration to product.

Key Responsibilities :

• Lead day-to-day test operations for high-speed electrical and optical communication systems.
• Establish test strategies, methodologies, and best practices for high-bandwidth optical link validation.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance to cross-functional teams.
• Drive continuous improvement of test processes, infrastructure, throughput, and data quality.
• Coordinate test activities across R&D, reliability, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.
• Develop and perform test plans for multi-terabit links.
• Execute advanced measurements using oscilloscopes, BERTs, VNAs, and other instruments.
• Analyze eye diagrams, BER measurements, sensitivity curves, S-parameters, and other measurements.
• Define and validate compliance test methodologies for relevant interface standards • Characterize optical transceivers, modulators, lasers, photodiodes, and optical engines.
• Perform BER, SNR, dispersion, polarization, and optical link budget testing.
• Conduct system-level optical link validation and stress testing.
• Build automated test frameworks using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools.
• Integrate test equipment APIs for automated measurement, data capture, and analytics. • Develop scalable and repeatable test stations for characterization, DVT/EVT, and production validation.
• Lead investigations into signal integrity issues, optical impairments, and device/system-level failures.
• Collaborate with design, packaging, and firmware teams to resolve performance anomalies.
• Present findings with data-driven recommendations to engineering leadership.

Required Qualifications and Skills :

• Master’s or Doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, Physics, or related field.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience in high-speed electrical and optical communication link testing.
• Expertise with high-speed and optical instrumentation:
• Oscilloscopes, BERT/PAM4 testers, VNAs
• OSA, tunable lasers, optical power meters, modulators, photodetectors, VOA
• Strong understanding of high-speed signaling and optics:
• Jitter, equalization, link budget, OSNR, dispersion, crosstalk, etc.
• Proficiency in test automation (Python strongly preferred).
• Proven ability to lead test activities and drive cross-functional technical initiatives.
• Strong documentation, communication, and data-analysis skills.
• Experience with silicon photonics, integrated optical engines, or coherent link technologies.
• Familiarity with DSP algorithms used in IMDD and coherent optical communication systems.
• Knowledge of production test development and qualification (EVT/DVT/PVT).
• Experience with statistical data analysis tools and modeling environments.
• Exceptional organizational skill and ability to create clarity from ambiguity
• High energy and urgency, able to drive teams to aggressive milestones
• Strong communication and coaching/mentoring ability
• Experience with lab workflows, test planning, validation cycles, and hardware bring-up

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