Tech Lead Optical Test Engineer

Asteralabs; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Astera Labs seeks a motivated Tech Lead – Optical Test Engineer to drive the development and deployment of optical test solutions for silicon photonics devices and modules. You will define test methodologies, lead test development, and guide a broader test organization to ensure efficient characterization, validation, and production testing.

The ideal candidate has strong optical testing experience, problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate across teams to enable reliable test

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or related discipline.
• 5–7+ years of experience in optical testing, photonic device characterization, or optical transceiver development.
• Strong understanding of silicon photonics devices (modulators, photodetectors, multiplexers, grating couplers, edge couplers).
• Hands-on experience with optical test equipment: OSA, OMA, tunable lasers, polarization controllers, power meters, high-speed oscilloscopes, BERT/pattern generators.
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or C/C++ for test automation.
• Knowledge of optical communication standards (IEEE 802.3, OIF-CEI, CMIS).
• Familiarity with statistical analysis methods and data visualization tools.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement optical test architectures across wafer probe test, package test, and module validation.
• Execute characterization and qualification testing of CPO components and assemblies.
• Perform high-speed optical measurements including insertion loss, return loss, extinction ratio, eye diagrams, BER, and OMA.
• Characterize wavelength accuracy, channel spacing, spectral linearity, and crosstalk for WDM-based CPO architectures.
• Design and build optical test stations with fiber alignment, switches, tunable lasers, OSA, and high-speed scopes.
• Develop test automation software and scripts using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or C/C++.
• Implement high-throughput test solutions for wafer-scale and production testing.
• Analyze large-scale optical test data to identify trends and failure modes.
• Generate reports (Cpk, GR&R, SPC) to monitor process stability and repeatability.
• Collaborate with design/process teams to optimize performance.
• Create and maintain test documentation, SOPs, and knowledge bases.
• Interface with external suppliers and foundries on wafer-level test requirements.
• Participate in design reviews to ensure testability and provide DFT recommendations.

Skills

Optical testing

Python

MATLAB

LabVIEW

C/C++

Test automation

Statistical analysis

Education

MS or PhD in Electrical/Optical Engineering or Physics

Tools

OSA

OMA

Tunable lasers

Polarization controllers

Power meters

BERT/pattern generators

High-speed oscilloscopes

Job description

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.

Job Summary

We are seeking a motivated and hands-on Tech Lead – Optical Test Engineer to contribute to the development and deployment of optical test solutions for silicon photonics devices and optical modules. This role will support definition of test methodologies, drive key portions of test development, and lead technical efforts within a broader test organization.

The ideal candidate has solid experience in optical testing, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate across teams to enable efficient characterization, validation, and production testing.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and implement optical test architectures and test flows across optical wafer probe test, package level test & characterization and optical module validation.
• Execute characterization and qualification testing of CPO components and assemblies.
• Perform high-speed optical measurements including insertion loss, return loss, extinction ratio, eye diagram analysis, BER testing, and optical modulation amplitude (OMA).
• Characterize optical performance parameters such as wavelength accuracy, channel spacing, spectral linearity, and crosstalk for WDM-based CPO architectures.
• Design and build optical test stations incorporating fiber alignment systems, optical switches, tunable lasers, optical spectrum analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, and BER testers.
• Develop test automation software, automated test scripts & frameworks using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar platforms.
• Implement high-throughput test solutions suitable for wafer-scale and production-level testing.
• Analyze large-scale optical test data to identify trends, failure modes, and yield-limiting factors.
• Generate statistical reports (Cpk, GR&R, SPC) to monitor process stability and test repeatability.
• Collaborate with design and process engineering teams to provide feedback for performance optimization.
• Create and maintain test documentation, SOPs, and knowledge base articles.
• Interface with external suppliers and foundries on silicon photonics wafer-level test requirements.
• Participate in design reviews to ensure testability and provide DFT (Design for Test) recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or a related discipline.
• 5–7+ years of experience in optical testing, photonic device characterization, or optical transceiver development.
• Strong understanding of silicon photonics devices (modulators, photodetectors, multiplexers, grating couplers, edge couplers).
• Hands-on experience with optical test equipment: OSA, OMA, tunable lasers, polarization controllers, power meters, high-speed real-time oscilloscopes, BERT/pattern generators.
• Proficiency in high-speed optical link testing (100G/lane and above, PAM4, NRZ).
• Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or C/C++ for test automation.
• Knowledge of optical communication standards (IEEE 802.3, OIF-CEI, CMIS).
• Familiarity with statistical analysis methods and data visualization tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience specifically with co-packaged optics or on-board optics architectures.
• Experience with wafer-level optical probing and testing tool hardware & software as well as automated photonics test platforms.
• Experience in transitioning test processes from lab/prototype to high-volume manufacturing (HVM).

Salary range is $185,000 to $240,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.