Optical Engineer, RTP, Test Automation and Optics NPI

Meta; Menlo Park, Northern (CA, KY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Meta is seeking an Optical Engineer to drive optics validation within RTP-NPI, pairing deep optical-transceiver expertise with Python scripting to automate testing and qualify optical modules. You will lead NPI programs end to end, collaborating with vendors, ODMs, and ecosystem partners, and contribute to standards development.

The role requires hands-on lab work, travel to vendor sites, and mentoring others while advancing test automation, data analysis, and production readiness for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8+ years in development roles for optical networking hardware.
• Experience writing Python scripts to automate test and measurement in lab environments.
• Experience developing reusable test automation in a team.
• Hands-on experience with high-speed optical/electrical test and lab instrumentation.
• Experience leading optical transceiver NPI programs with vendors/ODMs through EVT/DVT/PVT to MP.
• Familiarity with data center networks, fleet health, and high-volume manufacturing test flows.
• Willingness to travel to vendor/ODM/manufacturing sites as needed.
• Experience creating product requirements, test plans, and data sheets.
• Familiarity with C/C++ or MATLAB.
• Experience mentoring engineers and driving automation standards.
• Experience using instrument-control APIs (SCPI/VISA, PyVISA) to automate lab instruments.
• Knowledge of QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP112 and CMIS.
• Experience with Git or Mercurial for test code management.
• Experience driving NPI milestones and production transfer to contract manufacturers.
• Proficiency in Python automation including debugging and reusable libraries.
• Ability to set direction for multi-quarter NPI programs and coordinate with cross-functional partners.

Responsibilities

• Drive optics validation within RTP-NPI and automate testing for optical modules.
• Lead NPI programs end-to-end from EVT through MP to mass production.
• Develop optics test automation using Python and lab instruments.
• Collaborate with vendors, ODMs, TPMs, and production engineering to meet milestones.
• Contribute to optical networking standards and engage with ecosystem partners.

Skills

Python scripting

Test automation

Lab instrumentation

Optical transceiver knowledge

NPI program leadership

C/C++

MATLAB

Git/Mercurial

SCPI/VISA

PyVISA

BERT/OSA/test equipment

Dataplot/analysis (NumPy, pandas, SQL)

Vendor/ODM coordination

CMIS interfaces

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE or equivalent

8+ years optical networking hardware development

Tools

SCPI/VISA

PyVISA

Instrument-control libraries

BERT/OSA/test equipment drivers

Git

Mercurial

Job description

The Meta Hardware Design and Release to Production (Hardware Design and Release to Production) team ensures that the hardware running in Meta's production fleet is stable, secure, performant, and delivers the most value. Within Within this organization, the Release to Production New Product Introduction (Release to Production NPI) team finds, debugs, and remediates hardware failure modes before certifying new platforms for mass production, and then sustains them across the deployed lifecycle.

We are looking for an Optical Engineer to drive optics validation within RTP-NPI - pairing deep optical-transceiver expertise with Python scripting skills to automate the testing that qualifies optical communications modules and to lead optical transceiver NPI programs end to end. In this role, you will develop optics test automation using Python scripts, drive hands-on NPI execution with vendors and ODMs through EVT/DVT/PVT to mass production, and contribute to optical networking standards and engage with ecosystem partners.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience 8+ years in development roles for optical networking hardware, with experience taking new optical products from development through volume production Demonstrated experience writing Python scripts to automate test and measurement, including instrument control, data acquisition, and data analysis in a lab environment.
• Experience developing and maintaining reusable test automation in a team setting Hands-on experience with high-speed optical and electrical test, test automation, and lab instrumentation
• Experience leading optical transceiver NPI programs with vendors and/or ODMs through EVT, DVT, PVT to MP Familiarity with data center network architecture, fleet health and sustaining concepts, and high-volume manufacturing test flows
• Willingness to work hands-on in the lab and to travel to vendor, ODM, and manufacturing sites as needed to support NPI builds
• Experience in creating or influencing product requirements documents, test plans, and data sheets
• Familiarity with additional languages where useful for test or analysis: C/C++ or MATLAB
• Track record of mentoring engineers, improving engineering standards and practices for test automation quality, and influencing without direct authority
• Experience using instrument-control libraries and APIs - SCPI / VISA, PyVISA, vendor APIs - to automate lab instruments including BERT, OSA, power meters, and scopes
• Deep knowledge of pluggable optical transceivers and form factors - QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP112 - and the CMIS management interface
• Experience with version control - Git or Mercurial - for managing test code in collaborative environments
• Experience driving NPI milestones - EVT / DVT / PVT / MP - production-readiness reviews, and transferring test scripts and methods to contract manufacturers and ODM factory lines, including dual-ODM strategies
• Experience writing Python scripts to automate tests and measurements, with familiarity in debugging, code reuse and shared libraries, and writing clean, maintainable automation
• Ability to set technical direction across a multi-quarter NPI (New Product Introduction) program, define scope and requirements when they are initially unclear, and align cross-functional and external partners, including vendors, ODMs, TPMs, and Production Engineering
• Experience with advanced modulation formats and direct-detect and coherent systems - OOK, PAM-4, QPSK, 8-QAM, 16-QAM - and related concepts
• Data handling for test results: schema design, database persistence, dashboards, and statistical analysis of measurement data using NumPy, pandas, SQL or similar tools
• Expertise in optical test and measurement: BER / FEC, pre-FEC and post-FEC analysis, eye diagrams, TDECQ, OSNR, optical spectrum, and link budgets
• Experience with optical integration including InP PICs, silicon-photonic PICs, PIC-IC integration, and 3D optical packaging technologies