Senior Photonics Test Engineer — AI Infrastructure

Salience Labs Ltd; Oxford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Salience Labs Ltd. seeks a senior test engineer to define, build and operate system test capability for photonic switching hardware in AI infrastructure.

You will design test strategies, construct optical/electronic setups and automate data capture, ensuring readiness at milestones and removing bottlenecks through smart automation. The role requires hands-on lab work, deep technical depth, and the ability to guide others in test practice while delivering clear, data-driven progress in a

Qualifications

• Hands-on lab experience with optical/photonics setups.
• Ability to build and optimise measurement systems end-to-end.
• Experience in automating test workflows and data pipelines.
• Strong planning, tracking and risk management skills.
• Familiarity with photonics, optics, MEMS or high-speed electronics.
• Experience with automated test frameworks and data analysis tools.
• Fluency in Python (NumPy) and exposure to VISA/SCPI protocols.
• Strong organisational and mentorship capabilities.
• Willing to be based in the UK and present in the Oxford lab.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the system-level test strategy for Salience’s photonic switching platform, covering test planning, setup definition, execution and reporting.
• Build and maintain complex optical and electronic measurement setups with stability, repeatability and safety in mind.
• Automate test sequences and data capture pipelines to minimise manual overhead and accelerate learning cycles.
• Develop and communicate a clear view of test readiness, critical paths and parallelisable work.

Skills

Optical lab work

Measurement systems

Test automation

Project planning

Photonic systems

Test frameworks

Python NumPy

Organisational skills

Mentoring

UK relocation

Tools

VISA/SCPI protocols

Job description

Salience Labs Ltd. seeks a senior test engineer to define, build and operate system test capability for photonic switching hardware in AI infrastructure.

You will design test strategies, construct optical/electronic setups and automate data capture, ensuring readiness at milestones and removing bottlenecks through smart automation. The role requires hands-on lab work, deep technical depth, and the ability to guide others in test practice while delivering clear, data-driven progress in a