Senior Optical Test & Automation Engineer - AI-Scale Ready

Socket.dev; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 192,000; Full time

Job summary

Ayar Labs in San Jose, CA is seeking a Sr. Engineer in Optical Test & Automation to lead and optimize test stations, instrument integration, and data dashboards for co-packaged optics.

You will work with cross-functional teams to ensure repeatable, traceable measurements across development and manufacturing environments. The role requires hands-on experience in optical test systems, strong Python skills for automation, and a background in fiber optics and measurement techniques.

Qualifications

• BS in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering with 2+ years of industry experience.
• Experience building and sustaining optical test systems, including hands-on instrument integration and hardware troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in Python for instrument control, test automation, and quantitative data analysis.
• Working knowledge of fiber optics, optical coupling, and optical performance measurements such as insertion loss and return loss.
• Practical experience with calibration, measurement system analysis, and statistical methods for evaluating repeatability and stability.
• Experience organizing and maintaining traceable measurement datasets and connecting test software to databases or structured data systems.
• Ability to communicate technical findings clearly and collaborate with engineering teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Develop, bring up, and qualify optical test stations for fiber arrays, connectors, and packaged photonic interfaces.
• Integrate optical instruments, positioning hardware, and control software into automated measurement workflows.
• Establish and maintain calibration procedures, measurement uncertainty assessments, and GR&R studies.
• Apply statistical process control (SPC) and station monitoring to identify measurement drift, troubleshoot equipment issues, and maintain test consistency.
• Automate test-data capture and integrate results with engineering databases and dashboards, preserving device identity, test conditions, and equipment configuration.
• Analyze test results and maintain dashboards to track measurement stability, summarize performance trends, and flag anomalies for engineering review.
• Correlate test results across internal stations, suppliers, and manufacturing sites; investigate discrepancies and implement corrective actions.
• Improve test throughput and maintainability, and document procedures that enable reliable operation and transfer of test capabilities.

Skills

Python

Test automation

Data analysis

Instrumentation troubleshooting

Statistical methods

Communication

Education

BS in Optics/Physics/EE/ME

Tools

Fiber optic test equipment

Job description

Ayar Labs in San Jose, CA is seeking a Sr. Engineer in Optical Test & Automation to lead and optimize test stations, instrument integration, and data dashboards for co-packaged optics.

You will work with cross-functional teams to ensure repeatable, traceable measurements across development and manufacturing environments. The role requires hands-on experience in optical test systems, strong Python skills for automation, and a background in fiber optics and measurement techniques.