Senior Optical Engineer

Foxconn Industrial Internet; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Foxconn Industrial Internet in Houston, TX is seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to lead the optical subsystem architecture and drive production readiness from prototypes to high-volume manufacturing. You will collaborate with NPI, test, and manufacturing teams to develop robust measurement strategies, optimize yield, and ensure scalable production of next-generation optical switch products.

This role requires strong DOE skills, data-driven decisions, and hands-on experience with optical test

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in optical engineering, testing, or manufacturing/NPI.
• Proven experience troubleshooting optical path issues including fiber connectors and contamination control.
• Hands-on experience with optical measurement systems, automation, calibration, data logging, and traceability.

Responsibilities

• Lead investigations of complex optical path issues and drive improvements across design, test, fixtures and manufacturing processes.
• Develop manufacturable optical measurement strategies with cross-functional teams.
• Define and implement optical inspection and cleaning processes to improve yield and performance.
• Support SAT for automated optical inspection and cleaning systems; define acceptance criteria and qualification studies.
• Qualify optical test equipment and stations using measurement system analysis (Cg/Cgk, GR&R).
• Analyze production and test data to identify performance gaps and drive corrective actions.
• Document technical findings, validation results and process improvements for readiness.

Skills

Optical engineering

DOE experiments

Data analysis

Measurement systems

Troubleshooting optical paths

Documentation & communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics

Tools

Optical test equipment

CAD drawings (2D/3D)

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Optical Engineer to join our Optical NPI team to support the development and scaling of next-generation optical switch products from New Product Introduction (NPI) through high-volume manufacturing. This role focuses on the optical subsystem architecture, performance margins, tolerances, contamination sensitivity, and system stability, and will drive validation, characterization, and production readiness from prototypes through product maturity.

This is a highly cross-functional role working closely with NPI, test engineering, manufacturing teams, and customers to ensure robust optical performance and scalable production solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead deep-dive investigations of complex optical path issues, identifying root causes and driving improvements across design, test, fixtures, and manufacturing processes through structured experiments and DOE methodologies.
• Partner with NPI and Test Engineering teams to develop manufacturable optical measurement strategies, including selection and integration of optical test equipment for product development and production environments.
• Collaborate with customers and internal teams to define and implement optical inspection and cleaning processes to improve yield, reduce retest rates, and maintain optical performance standards.
• Support Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) for automated optical inspection and cleaning systems by defining acceptance criteria, conducting qualification and correlation studies, and closing readiness gaps prior to production release.
• Qualify optical test equipment and stations through measurement system analysis, including Cg/Cgk, GR&R, and station-to-station correlation studies.
• Analyze production and test data to identify performance gaps and implement corrective actions prior to mass production.
• Document technical findings, validation results, and process improvements to support design and manufacturing readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in optical engineering, optical testing, or optical manufacturing/NPI supporting complex hardware systems in laboratory or production environments.
• Proven experience troubleshooting optical path issues, including fiber connectors, end-face quality, contamination control, and optical signal integrity.
• Hands-on experience implementing optical measurement systems, including automation, calibration, data logging, and traceability.
• Experience defining and validating optical inspection and cleaning processes in collaboration with cross-functional or customer teams.
• Strong experimental and analytical skills with experience conducting structured experiments (DOE) and applying data-driven decision making.
• Ability to produce clear technical documentation and communicate findings to engineering and manufacturing teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optical switching products or high-speed networking optics, including fiber-based interconnects, optical modules, or optical assemblies.
• Familiarity with high-speed optical link testing and performance metrics such as BER, eye diagrams, jitter margin, and signal integrity analysis.
• Experience supporting equipment qualification and production readiness, including SAT planning and execution.
• Working knowledge of measurement system capability analysis including Cg/Cgk, GR&R, and correlation studies.
• Experience working with mechanical designs and interpreting 2D/3D CAD drawings.

Work Location: Houston, TX (onsite)

Foxconn Industrial Internet is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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