Lead IC – Driver Development & High-Speed Transceiver Test Automation

The Hiring Method, LLC; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Hiring Method, LLC is seeking a Lead Engineer - Driver Development & High-Speed Transceiver Test Automation in Santa Clara / Fremont, CA to lead embedded driver development and automated test platforms for next-gen 800G/1.6T optical transceivers.

This senior individual contributor role blends hands-on C/C++ development, driver architecture, high-speed test automation, and HW/SW integration across multiple engineering domains, including manufacturing deployment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science.
• 10+ years in embedded software, driver development or high-speed optical test development.
• Strong hands-on C/C++ development experience.
• Experience with embedded driver development, schematics, and HW/SW debugging.
• Background in automated test development and production deployment.
• Experience with high-speed optical transceivers and PAM4 technology.
• Hands-on with oscilloscopes, DCA, BER testing, and high-speed instrumentation.
• Ability to communicate with instrumentation via SCPI, GPIB, I²C, UART.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop embedded drivers and automated test platforms for next-gen transceivers.
• Build hands-on C/C++ software for 800G, 1.6T, and future products.
• Develop scalable test automation and instrument communication interfaces.
• Integrate hardware/software systems and debug using high-speed instrumentation.
• Provide technical leadership across an 8–15 person multidisciplinary team.
• Collaborate with Hardware, Firmware, DSP, Systems, Product, Manufacturing, and Program teams.
• Lead software/test solutions from development through NPI and production deployment.
• Drive yield, UPH, reliability, test capability, and software architecture improvements.

Skills

C/C++ development

Embedded driver development

High-speed test automation

Hardware/software debugging

SCPI, GPIB, I2C, UART interfaces

Cross-functional technical leadership

Oscilloscopes & BER testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related

Tools

SCPI

GPIB

I²C

UART

Oscilloscopes

DCA equipment

Job description

Location: Santa Clara / Fremont, CA

Work Setting: 100% onsite

Travel: Approximately 10%, primarily to contract manufacturers, internal development sites, and occasional supplier locations

Relocation: Available on a case-by-case basis

Position Summary

A global leader in optical communications technology is seeking a Lead Engineer - Driver Development & High-Speed Transceiver Test Automation to provide technical leadership for embedded driver development and automated test platforms supporting next-generation 800G, 1.6T, and beyond optical transceivers.

This is a senior individual contributor opportunity for an engineer who wants significant technical ownership without moving into people management. The role combines hands-on C/C++ development, embedded driver architecture, high-speed test automation, hardware/software integration, and manufacturing deployment.

Working across Hardware, Firmware, DSP, Systems, Product, and Manufacturing Engineering, this engineer will help define the software and test architecture behind next-generation optical technologies supporting AI infrastructure and high-speed data center networking.

What You'll Do

• Architect and develop embedded drivers and automated test platforms for next-generation optical transceivers
• Build hands-on C/C++ software supporting 800G, 1.6T, and future high-speed optical products
• Develop scalable test automation and instrument communication using SCPI, GPIB, I²C, UART, and related interfaces
• Integrate and debug hardware/software systems using schematics, oscilloscopes, DCA equipment, BER testing, and other high-speed instrumentation
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across an 8-15 person multidisciplinary engineering team
• Partner with Hardware, Firmware, DSP, Systems, Product, Manufacturing, Program Management, and FAE teams
• Lead software and test solutions from development through NPI and production deployment
• Drive improvements in manufacturing yield, UPH, reliability, test capability, and overall software architecture

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of embedded software, driver development, or high-speed optical test development experience strongly preferred
• Strong hands-on C/C++ development expertise
• Experience with embedded driver development, electrical schematics, and hardware/software debugging
• Strong background in automated test development and production deployment
• Experience with high-speed optical transceivers and PAM4 technology
• Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, DCA, BER testing, and high-speed test instrumentation
• Experience communicating with instrumentation through SCPI, GPIB, I²C, UART, or similar interfaces
• Proven ability to provide cross-functional technical leadership while remaining hands-on with development

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• Experience with 1.6T optical transceivers and next-generation data center technologies
• Background in Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), Optical Compute Interconnect (OCI), or Silicon Photonics
• Experience within optical networking, high-speed semiconductors, telecom, datacom, or test instrumentation
• Experience defining test architecture for high-volume manufacturing environments

Why This Opportunity

• Help build the next generation of 1.6T and beyond optical manufacturing technology
• Significant technical ownership without having to move into people management
• Influence end-to-end software and automated test architecture
• Work across optics, embedded software, firmware, DSP, automation, and manufacturing
• Greenfield development opportunities with direct impact on future products
• Work on technologies supporting AI infrastructure and next-generation data center networking
• Clear technical career path into Principal and Senior Principal Engineer opportunities