{"id":462254,"url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-tech-lead-optical-test-engineer","title":"Tech Lead Optical 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":51,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.529,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":73,"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"}},"role":"Leadership","role_family":"Leadership","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":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"BERT","optional":false},{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false},{"name":"NVLink","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Statistical Process Control","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-03T22:18:25Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-17","last_verified_at":"2026-10-30T20:19:04Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":88,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":88},"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 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. \nThe 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. \nKey Responsibilities \nDefine and implement optical test architectures and test flows across optical wafer probe test, package level test & characterization and optical module validation. \nExecute characterization and qualification testing of CPO components and assemblies. \nPerform high-speed optical measurements including insertion loss, return loss, extinction ratio, eye diagram analysis, BER testing, and optical modulation amplitude (OMA). \nCharacterize optical performance parameters such as wavelength accuracy, channel spacing, spectral linearity, and crosstalk for WDM-based CPO architectures. \nDesign and build optical test stations incorporating fiber alignment systems, optical switches, tunable lasers, optical spectrum analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, and BER testers. \nDevelop test automation software, automated test scripts & frameworks using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar platforms. \nImplement high-throughput test solutions suitable for wafer-scale and production-level testing. \nAnalyze large-scale optical test data to identify trends, failure modes, and yield-limiting factors. \nGenerate statistical reports (Cpk, GR&R, SPC) to monitor process stability and test repeatability. \nCollaborate with design and process engineering teams to provide feedback for performance optimization. \nCreate and maintain test documentation, SOPs, and knowledge base articles. \nInterface with external suppliers and foundries on silicon photonics wafer-level test requirements. \nParticipate in design reviews to ensure testability and provide DFT (Design for Test) recommendations. \nRequired Qualifications \nM.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or a related discipline. \n5-7+ years of experience in optical testing, photonic device characterization, or optical transceiver development. \nStrong understanding of silicon photonics devices (modulators, photodetectors, multiplexers, grating couplers, edge couplers). \nHands-on experience with optical test equipment: OSA, OMA, tunable lasers, polarization controllers, power meters, high-speed real-time oscilloscopes, BERT/pattern generators. \nProficiency in high-speed optical link testing (100G/lane and above, PAM4, NRZ). \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. \nPreferred Qualifications \nExperience specifically with co-packaged optics or on-board optics architectures. \nExperience with wafer-level optical probing and testing tool hardware & software as well as automated photonics test platforms. \nExperience in transitioning test processes from lab/prototype to high-volume manufacturing (HVM). \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":4629,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"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":["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":23,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.516,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":87,"expected_fill_days":73,"reasons":["conf:3","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":240000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-tech-lead-optical-test-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-tech-lead-optical-test-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-30T23:42:30Z","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":15189,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-31T00:00:00Z"}},"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-tech-lead-optical-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-tech-lead-optical-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-tech-lead-optical-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-tech-lead-optical-test-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fastera-labs-tech-lead-optical-test-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":462254}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"asteralabs.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":462254},"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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