Optical FW/SW Tech Lead - Embedded & Photonics

Astera Labs; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Astera Labs in the United States is seeking an Optical FW/SW Engineer, Tech Lead to design, develop, and validate embedded firmware and supporting software for next‑generation optical products. You will build software for optical engines, modules, and near‑packaged optics, spanning real‑time control, calibration, telemetry, diagnostics, and high‑speed link optimization.

This role sits at the intersection of embedded systems, optics, and hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related technical field.
• 5–8 years of embedded firmware/software experience for high‑reliability products.
• Strong C and Python skills with microcontroller platforms.
• RTOS‑based development, hardware interfaces, and low‑level control.
• Proven unit testing, version control, debugging, and hardware bring‑up.
• Ability to analyze and resolve complex firmware, hardware, and system problems.

Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and maintain production‑quality embedded firmware for optical engines and modules.
• Develop Python scripts for unit testing, automation, configuration, and data analysis.
• Create control algorithms for modulators, power, temperature compensation, and link adaptation.
• Lead firmware and hardware bring‑up, board initialization, debugging, and root‑cause analysis.
• Collaborate with optical, electrical, DSP, systems, and validation teams.

Skills

C programming

Python

RTOS

Embedded firmware

Hardware bring-up

Version control

Diagnostics

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering, CS, Physics

Tools

JTAG

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

I2C

SPI

Telemetry

CMIS

Job description

Astera Labs in the United States is seeking an Optical FW/SW Engineer, Tech Lead to design, develop, and validate embedded firmware and supporting software for next‑generation optical products. You will build software for optical engines, modules, and near‑packaged optics, spanning real‑time control, calibration, telemetry, diagnostics, and high‑speed link optimization.

This role sits at the intersection of embedded systems, optics, and hardware.