Optical Test Engineer

Nexthop Systems Inc; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Nexthop AI in Santa Clara, CA, is expanding its optical engineering team and seeks an Optical Test Engineer to qualify, validate, and test high-speed optical modules (400G, 800G, 1.6T) for datacenter AI deployments.

You will bring up lab test platforms, run measurements, analyze performance under various conditions, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve reliability and efficiency of next-generation AI systems.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical/Optical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience testing optical modules or high-speed optical systems.
• Hands-on experience with high-speed optical transmission testing and lab instruments.
• Proficient in Python for lab automation and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lab bring-up and test automation using BERTs, power meters, scopes, and traffic generators.
• Test and characterize transceivers across temperature, voltage, and traffic conditions.
• Validate module performance in switch ASIC systems and AI networking setups.
• Troubleshoot performance issues and collaborate on root-cause analysis.

Skills

High-speed testing

Python scripting

Lab automation

Fiber/Optical testing

Electrical/Optical systems

Signal integrity

Education

BS/MS in Electrical/Optical Engineering or related field

Tools

BERT

Oscilloscope

DCA

Power meters

OSA

CMIS/MDIO

I2C

Job description

At Nexthop AI, we are a team of industry-leading experts with deep experience across silicon design, systems engineering, network operations, and cloud infrastructure. We are building innovative, next-generation solutions to meet the demands of large-scale AI deployments that will power tomorrow’s AI infrastructure. We are now expanding our optical engineering team and looking for an Optical Test Engineer.

As an Optical Test Engineer, you’ll be responsible for the qualification, validation, and system-level testing of high-speed optical modules (e.g., 400G, 800G, 1.6T) used in advanced datacenter and AI networking environments. You’ll help bring up test platforms in the lab, perform optical and electrical measurements, and analyze performance under different test conditions, configurations and workloads. Your work will directly support the scalability, efficiency, and reliability of next-generation AI systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lab Bring-Up and Test Automation: Setup and maintain test environments using BERTs, power meters, oscilloscopes, and traffic generators. Automate workflows using Python.
• Optical Module Qualification: Test and characterize transceivers across temperature, voltage, and traffic conditions to ensure performance and compliance.
• System-Level Validation: Validate module performance in switch ASIC systems and AI networking setups. Capture metrics like BER, power consumption, thermal stability, and link reliability under stress.
• Debug and Analysis: Troubleshoot performance issues such as signal integrity degradation, module misbehavior, or unexpected power/thermal behavior. Collaborate with cross-functional teams for root-cause analysis.

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience testing optical modules or electrical/optical systems
• Hands-on experience in high-speed optical transmission testing, including fiber links, and state of the art test equipment: BERT, oscilloscope, DCA, power meters, OSA, thermal chambers
• Strong Python scripting skills for lab automation and programming languages for data collection and analysis
• Familiarity with CMIS, MDIO, or I²C interfaces
• Understanding of high-speed protocols such as Ethernet, PCIe, or SerDes
• Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment and adapt to evolving priorities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Industry experience working with 400G/800G/1.6T pluggable modules (QSFP-DD, OSFP)
• Knowledge of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, MSA or OIF standards including CMIS
• Experience validating hardware in datacenter or AI cluster environments
• Familiarity with environmental and reliability testing (temperature cycling, HTOL, etc.)