Sr. Test Engineer (Optoelectronic)

Position Overview

We are looking for a seasoned Senior Optoelectronic Test Engineer to lead optical and optoelectronic testing for our advanced optical product portfolio, including high-speed on-board optical engines, silicon photonics (SiPh) variants, optical PCI Express solutions, and pluggable optical transceivers developed with original design manufacturer (ODM) partners.

In this role, you will characterize lasers, photodiodes, and photonic components; develop robust optical test methods, limits, and automated stations for engineering validation and production; drive cross-site measurement correlation; and troubleshoot complex optoelectronic failures.

We are seeking a candidate with a deep understanding of lasers, photodiodes, transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), laser drivers, photonic integrated circuits (PICs), optical coupling, fiber interfaces, thermal behavior, calibration, and the interplay between electrical drive conditions and optical performance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Test Strategy & Validation: Develop comprehensive optical and optoelectronic test plans, test limits, test flows, and validation methods from engineering validation test (EVT) and design validation test (DVT) through full production release.

2. Component Characterization: Characterize optoelectronic and photonic components, including VCSELs, DFB, EML, and CW lasers, PDs, TIAs, laser drivers, PICs, lenses/micro-optics, fiber arrays, MT/MPO and expanded-beam interfaces, and WDM mux/demux components.

3. Transmitter & Laser Evaluation: Evaluate laser metrics (threshold/bias current, slope efficiency, modulation response, wavelength, SMSR, RIN, chirp, thermal dependence, aging) and transmitter metrics (average optical power, OMA/outer OMA, extinction ratio, TDECQ, eye diagrams, spectrum, and lane uniformity for multi-lane parallel optics).

4. Receiver Evaluation: Assess receiver characteristics such as responsivity, dark current, bandwidth, noise, gain, saturation/overload, linearity, and sensitivity, alongside receiver stress testing, BER, LOS assert/deassert, and hysteresis.

5. Optical Coupling & Interfaces: Evaluate active/passive alignment tolerance, insertion loss, return loss, polarization/wavelength dependence, MT/MPO performance, and temperature-dependent behavior.

6. Test Platform Integration: Build, integrate, maintain, and troubleshoot optical test platforms (DCA, OSA, optical power meters, VOAs, optical switches, BERTs, multi-lane fiber test fixtures, and temperature chambers); support the expansion of the regional optical test lab (laser, photodiode, engine/transceiver, and environmental-stress stations).

7. Automation & Data Systems: Develop or support automated optical test scripts, calibration routines, data logging, limit management, and test reporting frameworks.

8. Correlation & MSA: Perform optical instrument correlation, measurement system analysis (MSA/GR&R), calibration control, golden-sample management, and measurement repeatability studies across internal labs, manufacturing plants, and ODM/CM partner sites.

9. Engineering Analysis: Analyze relationships among laser bias/modulation, driver/DSP settings, temperature, alignment, calibration, optical coupling, and final module performance.

10. Failure Analysis & Transfer: Support failure analysis of optical components, engines, assembly processes, and system-level issues; optimize test accuracy, repeatability, test time, and production yield, including successful test transfer to ODM/CM partners.

11. Technical Leadership: Mentor engineers and technicians, establishing best practices for optical lab operations, laser safety, and documentation.

12. Supplier & Quality Support: Review and respond to supplier specifications, waivers/deviations, test reports, root cause analysis (RCA), process change notifications (PCNs), and related technical documentation with a focus on optical and test impacts.

Experience & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Optoelectronics, Photonics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.

• Experience: 5+ years of hands-on optical/optoelectronic test, characterization, or device engineering experience working with optical transceivers, optical engines, or photonic components.

• Component Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of optoelectronic components (VCSELs, EML, DFB, CW lasers, PDs, TIAs, laser drivers, PICs, lenses, fiber arrays, WDM optics).

• Measurement Expertise: Solid working knowledge of optical communication measurements: optical power, OMA, extinction ratio, TDECQ, eye diagrams, wavelength, receiver sensitivity, overload, BER, and LOS.

• Optics & Physics Foundation: Sound understanding of optical coupling, alignment tolerances, insertion loss, return loss, single-mode/multimode fiber interfaces, and temperature-dependent behavior.

• Hardware Proficiency: Hands-on experience with DCAs, OSAs, optical power meters, VOAs, optical switches, BERTs, and environmental test chambers.

• Analytical Skills: Proven ability to isolate optoelectronic failures across component, optical path, electrical drive, calibration, process, instrument, and environmental domains.

• Soft Skills: Experience with test data analysis, automated testing, or instrument control, coupled with strong written and verbal English communication skills.

Preferred Experience & Desired Skills

• Experience with 400G, 800G, or 1.6T optical transceivers, on-board/mid-board optical engines, SiPh/PIC products, LPO/LRO solutions, or DSP-based modules.

• Direct experience with VCSEL-based multimode parallel optics (MT/MPO, expanded beam) and EML/CW-laser/SiPh single-mode products (including active alignment, fiber attach, optical calibration, and thermal characterization).

• Familiarity with PAM4 modulation, BER/FEC, DSP equalization, laser driver behavior, and electro-optical interactions.

• Working knowledge of IEEE 802.3 optical standards, industry multi-source agreements (MSAs), CMIS, and module qualification standards (e.g., Telcordia GR-468-CORE).

• Experience with test correlation, MSA/GR&R, measurement uncertainty, and production test deployment/transfer to ODM/CM partners.

• Self-motivated, highly organized, and capable of working independently and cross-functional across international teams.

• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.