Senior Photonic Device Reliability Engineer

Aeluma; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock incentives

Full benefits

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Aeluma in Santa Barbara seeks a Senior Photonic Device Reliability Engineer to lead reliability testing for lasers and high-speed photodiodes. You will set test plans, analyze results, and model wearout mechanisms to ensure robust hardware across product lifecycles.

You will collaborate with R&D and manufacturing, apply industry standards, and drive design-for-reliability decisions with strong data-driven analyses. This is a hands-on, impact-focused role in a fast-evolving photonics team.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant technical field is required.
• 5+ years of semiconductor device reliability and hardware qualification experience.
• Experience with photonics devices and wearout mechanisms.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute comprehensive reliability test plans.
• Drive reliability strategy across concept to manufacturing.
• Perform accelerated stress tests and DOE to characterize life performance.
• Develop lifetime models and reliability predictions from test data.
• Collaborate with R&D, process, and validation teams to root-cause issues.
• Deliver data-driven reliability updates to management.

Skills

Reliability testing

Weibull analysis

Photonic device physics

Statistical analysis (JMP)

Python & SQL data handling

Failure analysis techniques

Education

Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics

Tools

SEM

TEM

FIB

EDX

Job description

Open Position: Senior Photonic Device Reliability Engineer

Aeluma is seeking motivated individuals that thrive in a multidisciplinary team environment, so please contact us if this description resonates with you. We offer competitive salaries, full benefits, stock incentives, and an exciting career path that fosters growth. Please join us as we reimagine the future of semiconductor manufacturing.

Position Summary

The Senior Photonic Device Reliability Engineer will plan, implement, execute, analyze, and model reliability testing and associated results for cutting-edge semiconductor photonics devices, such as lasers and high-speed photodiodes. This role will serve as the core technical authority on product robustness, collaborating with cross-functional R&D and manufacturing teams to proactively mitigate failure risks and ensure uncompromising hardware quality.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute comprehensive reliability test plans, test methodologies, and qualification processes for component devices and integrated systems.
• Drive end-to-end reliability strategy throughout the technology and product lifecycle from concept to high-volume manufacturing.
• Develop and implement targeted strategies for compliance with Telcordia GR-468, MIL-STD, and other applicable industry standards.
• Participate actively in design reviews, partnering cross-functionally with R&D, process integration, and validation teams to improve product robustness and drive technical root-cause failure analysis to closure.
• Coordinate accelerated reliability stress tests and design-of-experiments to characterize the over-life performance of photonic devices.
• Build statistical lifetime models and reliability predictions using data extracted from accelerated-aging tests.
• Manage qualification efforts with external vendors, ODM partners, and third-party labs to scale testing capabilities.
• Deliver concise, data-driven reliability status reports and technical recommendations to senior management and project collaborators.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 5+ years of dedicated engineering experience in semiconductor device reliability and hardware qualification.
• Proven track record in the datacenter, computer, or telecom sectors working directly with integrated photonics or compound semiconductors.
• Deep fundamental understanding of photonic device physics, laser chips, photodetectors, and wearout mechanisms.
• Familiarity with failure analysis techniques such as SEM, TEM, FIB, EDX, or related characterization methods.
• Expert knowledge of acceleration factors, Weibull analysis, the Arrhenius equation, and optical degradation rate modeling, including random/wearout failure modes, FIT calculations, and ALT/HALT statistical tools.
• Familiarity with packaging-related failure mechanisms, thermal cycling, humidity, mechanical stress, and electrostatic discharge models.
• Strong capability in statistical analysis packages (e.g., JMP) and large dataset management (e.g., Python, SQL).
• Demonstrated ability to manage parallel engineering projects and drive technical execution under aggressive timelines.