Test Automation Engineer - Silicon Photonics

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Test Automation Engineer (Silicon Photonics) to join our rapidly growing hardware validation and production engineering team. In this role, you will bridge the gap between semiconductor manufacturing and advanced optics. You will take ownership of designing, developing, and optimizing automated test infrastructure to characterize and validate our next-generation Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and Electronic-Photonic Integrated Circuits (EPICs).

The ideal candidate will combine strong software engineering practices (C# or Python) with a deep understanding of electro‑optical testing methodologies, enabling scalable data collection from wafer‑sort to final co‑packaged optics (CPO) modules.

• Design, develop, and maintain robust, scalable test automation software and libraries (using Python or C#) to interface with electrical and optical test instruments.
• Implement instrument control drivers for automated wafer probers, optical alignment systems, and bench‑top laboratory equipment.
• Build automated data pipelines to stream large characterization datasets seamlessly into centralized databases (SQL/No
  
  SQL) and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
• Develop data analysis scripts to parse raw measurement data, extract key performance metrics, and generate automated test summaries.

• Configure, program, and maintain automated optical test benches incorporating advanced fiber‑to‑chip active alignment systems, and sub‑micron motion control stages.
• Integrate and synchronize high‑speed optical and RF instruments, including tunable lasers, Optical Spectrum Analyzers (OSAs), Optical Power Meters, Bit Error Rate Testers (BERTs), Digital Communication Analyzers (DCAs), and Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs).
• Partner with hardware and PCB teams to specify, design, and commission custom test fixtures, loopback boards, and probe cards optimized for signal integrity.

• Execute automated test flows to characterize active and passive photonic components (e.g., Modulators, Photodetectors, Waveguides, Multiplexers/Demultiplexers, and Integrated Lasers).
• Perform link‑level electro‑optic validation, assessing parameters such as Eye Diagrams, Optical Modulation Amplitude (OMA), Extinction Ratio (ER), Relative Intensity Noise (RIN), Optical‑Signal‑to‑Noise Ratio (OSNR), and Bit Error Rate (BER).
• Perform root‑cause analysis and debugging of software/hardware integration anomalies, test setups, and data inconsistencies.

• Collaborate closely with PIC Design, Layout, DFT (Design for Test), Packaging, and Quality Assurance teams to translate design specs into automated testing protocols.
• Contribute to the transition of test methodologies from New Product Introduction (NPI) lab environments to high‑volume manufacturing (HVM) foundry sites.

• Degree: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Electro‑Optics, or a related discipline.
• Experience: 3+ years of hands‑on industry experience in automated testing, with a distinct focus on semiconductor validation, silicon photonics, or optoelectronic devices.

• Programming: Advanced proficiency in C#, or Python (specifically libraries like Num Py, Sci Py, Pandas, and PyVISA) or equivalent test automation environments.
• Hardware Control: Experience automating hardware subsystems, motor/motion controllers, or automated wafer probe stations (e.g., Form Factor, MPI).
• Data Analysis: Experience with data analysis tools and methodologies (e.g., JMP, MATLAB, Python‑based visualization).

• Strong analytical problem‑solving skills with a meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively collaborate with distributed engineering teams and external foundry partners.

• Experience with Co‑Packaged Optics (CPO), or pluggable optical transceivers.
• Instrumentation: Familiarity with optical and high‑speed…