Silicon Photonics Test Engineer

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Silicon Photonics Test Engineer to lead the development and execution of test strategies for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). This role will be responsible for defining test plans, developing automated test solutions, and driving both design verification testing (DVT) and production test activities.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience testing silicon photonics devices, understands the underlying operation of key photonic components, and has developed automated test software used for characterization, qualification, and manufacturing. This position requires close collaboration with photonics design, product engineering, reliability, packaging, and manufacturing teams to ensure products meet performance, quality, and production requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive test plans, test methodologies, and acceptance criteria for silicon photonics products.
• Define and execute DVT, characterization, qualification, and production test strategies for photonic integrated circuits.
• Develop automated test software and test frameworks for wafer-level testing using LabVIEW and C#.
• Design and implement test solutions for characterization of photonic components including optical modulators, photodiodes, optical splitters, and optical couplers.
• Perform data analysis using Python, or other programming languages.
• Work closely with photonic designers to understand device operation, define meaningful measurements, and improve testability.
• Characterize electro-optical performance across operating conditions including voltage, temperature, wavelength, and process variation.
• Correlate DVT results, qualification data, and production test results to simulation.
• Analyze test data and yield trends to identify root causes and drive corrective actions.
• Support transition of test solutions from engineering characterization into manufacturing environments.
• Create test documentation including test plans, procedures, specifications, reports, and manufacturing test requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, or related technical field.
• Minimum of four years developing automated test applications.
• Minimum of two years of experience testing silicon photonics devices, photonic integrated circuits, or optical communication products.
• Demonstrated experience developing test plans and test methodologies for silicon photonics products.
• Experience executing both DVT and production test activities.
• Strong understanding of silicon photonics device operation and performance metrics.
• Working knowledge of optical modulators, photodiodes, optical splitters, optical couplers, waveguides, and optical routing structures.
• Hands-on experience with wafer-level testing of silicon photonics devices.
• Experience developing automated test software using C#, Python, LabVIEW, or similar programming languages.
• Experience with optical and electro-optical test instrumentation including tunable lasers, optical power meters, optical spectrum analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, source measurement units, bit error rate testers, and vector network analyzers.
• Strong data analysis and debugging skills.
• Excellent technical communication and documentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience testing high-speed optical communication devices or optical transceivers.
• Experience with automated wafer probers and wafer-level optical coupling techniques.
• Familiarity with photonic packaging and fiber alignment processes.
• Experience transitioning test solutions from engineering development into high-volume manufacturing.
• Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, and yield improvement techniques.
• Experience with reliability testing and qualification of photonic products.
• Familiarity with NI TestStand, LabVIEW, and semiconductor automated test equipment.
• Background at a fabless company or startup environment where you’ve worn multiple hats.

Desired Characteristics

• Strong ownership mentality and ability to independently drive test strategy.
• Comfortable working across design, product, reliability, and manufacturing organizations.
• Able to translate complex photonic device requirements into practical and scalable test solutions.
• Passion for developing robust, maintainable automation software and measurement systems.
• Detail-oriented with a strong focus on product quality and manufacturing readiness.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without employer sponsorship.