EVT/DVT Optical Engineer for Photonics ICs

CScale; Iowa; On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

CScale is hiring an EVT/DVT Engineer to run optical and photonic experiments, taking photonic hardware from first silicon to design-validated product. You will build test setups, handle bare semiconductor devices, and turn measurements into clear go/no-go decisions.

This hands-on lab role requires standing up new setups quickly, debugging at the bench, and owning results end to end in a fast-paced engineering build-up.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field with 4+ years of industry experience, or a PhD with 1+ year of industry.
• Strong hands-on experience in optics and photonics experimentation: building and aligning optical setups, fiber handling and splicing, and making repeatable measurements.
• Experience handling and testing semiconductor devices such as laser diodes, photodetectors, modulators, or PICs, including probing and ESD-safe practices.
• Working knowledge of optical test equipment: power meters, optical spectrum analyzers, tunable laser sources, SMUs, and oscilloscopes.
• Comfort in a fast-paced build-up environment: you prioritize, adapt quickly, and get hardware working at the bench.
• Clear documentation and communication of test results to cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute EVT and DVT test campaigns for photonic integrated circuits, lasers, and optical subassemblies: test plans, sample sizes, pass/fail criteria, and reports.
• Design, build, and align free-space and fiber-coupled optical test setups, including fiber-to-chip coupling, polarization control, and power, spectral, and loss measurements.
• Characterize semiconductor optical devices: LIV curves, spectra, SMSR, RIN, responsivity, dark current, insertion loss, extinction ratio, and wavelength tuning etc.
• Handle bare die, chips on carrier, and wafers safely: ESD control, probing, die attach, and cleanroom or clean-bench practices.
• Run environmental and reliability tests (temperature cycling, thermal sweeps, humidity) and track performance drift.
• Automate measurements and data collection and analyze results to find root causes and feed fixes back to design and process teams.
• Stand up new stations quickly as the program scales, and write procedures so others can run them.
• Work closely with photonics design, electronics, packaging, and manufacturing engineers to move hardware through build phases on schedule.

Skills

Optics experimentation

Semiconductor devices testing

Probe & ESD-safe handling

Optical test equipment

Documentation & communication

Education

Master's or PhD in Optics/Physics/Electrical Engineering

Tools

PyVISA/SCPI

Automated test stations

Job description

CScale is hiring an EVT/DVT Engineer to run optical and photonic experiments, taking photonic hardware from first silicon to design-validated product. You will build test setups, handle bare semiconductor devices, and turn measurements into clear go/no-go decisions.

This hands-on lab role requires standing up new setups quickly, debugging at the bench, and owning results end to end in a fast-paced engineering build-up.