Senior Principal Photonics Test Engineer

About the role

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.

• Job Summary

We 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.

The 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.

Key Responsibilities

• Define 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.
• Lead the development of advanced wafer probe and package-level test solutions for silicon photonics devices and subsystems.
• Architect and implement automated test flows for engineering characterization, validation, and production.
• Design, develop, and implement optical test plans and procedures for co-packaged optics modules, including silicon photonics engines, laser sources, photodetectors, and optical fiber connectors.
• Debug and resolve yield issues and critical technical challenges, including electrical/optical performance failures, process & test induced variations.
• Develop and drive the hardware and software roadmap for next-generation optical test systems.
• Collaborate across cross-functional organizations such as silicon and photonics design teams, packaging, validation, reliability and qualification teams.
• Define and implement test and yield analytics frameworks to accelerate yield learning and root cause identification.
• Provide deep technical input in Design-for-Test (DfT) and product development reviews.
• Define test specifications, acceptance criteria, and pass/fail limits based on IEEE, OIF, and internal standards

Required Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Physics, Semiconductor Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in optical testing, photonic device characterization, or optical transceiver module test.
• Strong 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.
• Proven experience leading development of wafer-level and package-level optical test systems.
• 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. Strong experience debugging yield issues and complex system-level problems.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to influence across engineering disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience specifically with co-packaged optics or on-board optics architectures.
• Knowledge of 2.5D/3D packaging technologies (interposers, chiplets, UCIe etc.).
• Experience with external laser source (ELS) integration and characterization.
• Experience with ATE platforms and custom photonics test setups.
• Experience in transitioning test processes from lab/prototype to high-volume manufacturing (HVM)

Pay and benefits

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.