Optical Manufacturing Principal Engineer

Job Title

Optical Manufacturing Principal Engineer

Role Summary

Lead development and ownership of manufacturing test systems and automation for photonic transceivers and modules. The role combines hands-on production testing, tester development, and software test framework engineering to support new product introduction and volume manufacturing.

Work cross-functionally with optical design, hardware, manufacturing, and quality teams to validate Layer 1/Layer 2 systems, improve yield, and automate data collection and reporting.

Experience Level

Senior-level. The role expects an experienced engineer (senior/principal), with the posting specifying 7+ years of hands-on experience in software testing and test automation for optical transceiver products.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include ownership of test systems, automation, and production test quality and yield.

• Define, develop and maintain automated test software and frameworks for high-volume manufacturing.
• Perform functional, regression, and performance testing of Layer 1 and Layer 2 network systems; configure traffic generators (e.g., IXIA) and network switches for test scenarios.
• Design, assemble, validate, and release production testers; own tester BOMs, schematics, test flows, and work instructions.
• Manage test change control under QMS: software revision control, regression testing, tester updates, and test logs.
• Analyze test results, drive yield improvement, and execute continuous improvement plans to reduce cycle time and scrap.
• Integrate test software with databases and cloud monitoring/reporting tools; generate comprehensive test reports.
• Troubleshoot product and tester issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with quality, design, process, IT, and software teams to ensure DFM/DFT and qualification testing.
• Maintain documentation, test specifications, and automated tooling for manufacturing diagnostics and data analysis.
• Train and mentor peers; support international travel for cross-site activities as required.

Requirements

Technical must-haves and relevant skills for the role.

Must-have:

• Hands-on experience with test automation and tester development for optical transceivers and silicon photonics.
• Strong Python scripting and test framework development skills; experience with database integration (SQL/NoSQL) for test data logging.
• Practical experience with optical test instruments (optical spectrum analyzers, power meters, polarization controllers, BER testers) and hardware communication protocols (NI-VISA, SCPI, RS-232, TCP/IP).
• Proven experience with version control workflows (GitHub, Bitbucket, SVN) and software QA practices: unit/integration testing, regression testing.
• Knowledge of Layer 1 and Layer 2 networking and experience using traffic generators (e.g., IXIA) and network switches for validation.
• Experience in yield analysis, SPC, GR&R, tester correlation, and generating quality/reliability reports.
• Ability to manage multiple test projects and work effectively in cross-functional, geographically distributed teams.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with C#, LabVIEW, Windows Forms or WPF, and shell scripting.
• Familiarity with NoSQL databases and cloud-based monitoring/reporting integrations.
• Prior involvement in high-speed transceiver module testing (400G, 800G, 1.6T).

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related technical field. The posting specifies 7+ years of hands-on experience in software testing and test automation of optical transceiver products (including silicon photonics).

About the Company

Company: Lumilens

Headquarters: San Jose, CA, USA

Lumilens develops integrated photonics and optical interconnect solutions for high-speed data communication and chip-to-chip interfaces, focusing on optical front-end hardware and co-packaged optics for advanced semiconductor systems.