{"id":462252,"url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer","title":"Senior Principal Photonics Test Engineer","company":{"id":178069,"name":"Astera Labs","domain":"asteralabs.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/astera-labs-2","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":82,"open_postings":50,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.52,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":78,"computed_at":"2026-11-04T06:34:25Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Jose, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":185000,"max":240000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":240000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false},{"name":"NVLink","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-05-19T16:23:54Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-29","last_verified_at":"2026-11-04T05:14:38Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":168,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":[],"days_open":168},"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.\nJob Summary \nWe are seeking a highly technical and hands-on Senior Principal Photonics Test Engineer to serve as the technical authority for photonics test engineering across our product portfolio. This role will define end-to-end test architectures and drive advanced test development for silicon photonics devices, subsystems, and optical modules from early R&D through high-volume manufacturing. \nThe ideal candidate brings deep expertise in silicon photonics test methodologies, strong system-level thinking, and a proven ability to solve complex yield and performance challenges while building scalable, automated test solutions. \nKey Responsibilities \nDefine and own the end-to-end test architecture and test roadmap including wafer-level testing, package-level validation, optical engine and module characterization, as well as production and reliability testing. \nLead the development of advanced wafer probe and package-level test solutions for silicon photonics devices and subsystems. \nArchitect and implement automated test flows for engineering characterization, validation, and production. \nDesign, develop, and implement optical test plans and procedures for co-packaged optics modules, including silicon photonics engines, laser sources, photodetectors, and optical fiber connectors. \nDebug and resolve yield issues and critical technical challenges, including electrical/optical performance failures, process & test induced variations. \nDevelop and drive the hardware and software roadmap for next-generation optical test systems. \nCollaborate across cross-functional organizations such as silicon and photonics design teams, packaging, validation, reliability and qualification teams. \nDefine and implement test and yield analytics frameworks to accelerate yield learning and root cause identification. \nProvide deep technical input in Design-for-Test (DfT) and product development reviews. \nDefine test specifications, acceptance criteria, and pass/fail limits based on IEEE, OIF, and internal standards \nRequired Qualifications \nMS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Physics, Semiconductor Engineering, or a related field. \n10+ years of experience in optical testing, photonic device characterization, or optical transceiver module test. \nStrong understanding of silicon photonics devices (modulators, photodetectors, multiplexers, grating couplers, edge couplers), optical probing and fiber coupling, Electro-Optical (EO) characterization, high-speed optical testing and BER measurement. \nProven experience leading development of wafer-level and package-level optical test systems. \nProgramming skills in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or C/C++ for test automation \nKnowledge of optical communication standards (IEEE 802.3, OIF-CEI, CMIS) \nFamiliarity with statistical analysis methods and data visualization tools. Strong experience debugging yield issues and complex system-level problems. \nExcellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to influence across engineering disciplines. \nPreferred Qualifications \nExperience specifically with co-packaged optics or on-board optics architectures. \nKnowledge of 2.5D/3D packaging technologies (interposers, chiplets, UCIe etc.). \nExperience with external laser source (ELS) integration and characterization. \nExperience with ATE platforms and custom photonics test setups. \nExperience in transitioning test processes from lab/prototype to high-volume manufacturing (HVM) \n\nSalary 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.\nWe 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4705,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Optical Communications","Processors, MCUs & AI Chips","Servers & Data Center Hardware"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-06T11:26:14Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 77 · green card filings: 7","filings_12m":77,"filings_prev_12m":50,"green_card_filings_12m":7,"median_offered_wage_usd":168155,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":13,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.474,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":168,"expected_fill_days":78,"reasons":["conf:1","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-04T06:34:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":240000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-04T09:22:57Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":14612,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-05T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":178069},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=178069"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fastera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fastera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fastera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/astera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fastera-labs-senior-principal-photonics-test-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":462252}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"asteralabs.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":462252},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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