Principal Test Engineer, Photonics & Test Automation

COHERENT; Fremont (CA); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 202,000; Full time

Job summary

Coherent Corp. in the United States is seeking an experienced test engineering leader to drive the testing of new photonic ICs and to configure advanced test systems for optical and electrical characterization.

You will debug test anomalies, implement automation, and push for robust, repeatable testing processes to reduce operator intervention and improve data traceability across multiple projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of hands‑on laboratory experience in photonics, semiconductor, or optoelectronic device testing.
• Deep familiarity with lab instrumentation such as Lasers, Power Meters, Optical Spectrum Analyzers, Vector Network Analyzers (VNA), and Probe Cards.
• Proven expertise in automated test development, including scripting (Python, LabVIEW, or similar) for optical and electrical measurements.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Highly organized and detail‑oriented, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and deliver on schedule.

Responsibilities

• Lead the testing of new PICs, providing test summaries while maintaining data traceability.
• Lead the configuration, setup, and qualification of test systems for silicon photonic ICs, including optical and electrical characterization platforms.
• Perform hands‑on debugging and root cause analysis for test anomalies, and data inconsistencies.
• Continuously evaluate and implement automation solutions to increase test efficiency and reduce operator intervention.
• Drive improvement projects aimed at enhancing test robustness, and repeatability.

Skills

Lab automation

Data analysis

Python scripting

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical/Optical Engineering or Physics

Tools

Lasers

Power Meters

Optical Spectrum Analyzers

Vector Network Analyzers

Probe Cards

Job description

Coherent Corp. in the United States is seeking an experienced test engineering leader to drive the testing of new photonic ICs and to configure advanced test systems for optical and electrical characterization.

You will debug test anomalies, implement automation, and push for robust, repeatable testing processes to reduce operator intervention and improve data traceability across multiple projects.