Optical Test Engineer, Principal

About this 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. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.

We are seeking a world-class Senior Staff to Principal Optical Test Engineer to lead the development and execution of advanced test strategies for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) solutions.

This senior role drives optical and electro-optical testing for next-generation high-bandwidth CPO modules and optical engines integrated with ASICs for AI, hyperscale data centers, and high-performance computing.

You will architect test methodologies, develop hardware/software platforms, and enable high-volume manufacturing while ensuring world-class performance, reliability, and yield. This is a high-impact technical leadership position at the forefront of silicon photonics and co-packaged optics innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the definition, development, and qualification of comprehensive test solutions for CPO optical engines, including wafer-level, die-level, package-level, and system-level testing.

• Design and implement optical test hardware and automation systems (e.g., active alignment, fiber array attachment, high-speed optical I/O characterization).

• Develop test programs and methodologies for key photonic parameters: insertion loss, eye diagrams, BER, PAM4 signaling, optical power, wavelength, thermal performance, and reliability stress testing.

• Collaborate closely with Silicon Photonics design, package engineering, product engineering, and manufacturing teams to optimize design-for-test (DFT) and manufacturability.

• Drive yield improvement, failure analysis, and root-cause investigations for complex electro-optical failures in CPO assemblies.

• Establish correlations between bench/lab validation, ATE production test, and system-level performance.

• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical direction on test architecture, equipment selection, and best practices for high-channel-count, high-speed optics.

• Support qualification, reliability testing (e.g., HTOL, temperature cycling), and customer audits for CPO products.

• Evaluate and integrate new test technologies, instrumentation, and automation frameworks to scale CPO production efficiently.

• Contribute to roadmaps for next-generation CPO test capabilities (e.g., higher data rates, multi-wavelength, advanced packaging).

Qualifications and Requirements

• Education: MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

• Experience:

• 8+ years (Senior Staff) to 12+ years (Principal) of relevant experience in optical/photonic test engineering.

• Strong background in Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), silicon photonics, or high-speed optical transceivers (800G/1.6T+).

• Proven track record developing optical test solutions for wafer, package, or module-level testing in high-volume environments.

• Deep expertise in optical test instrumentation (e.g., optical spectrum analyzers, BER testers, oscilloscopes, tunable lasers, power meters, fiber alignment systems).

• Experience with automated test equipment (ATE), Python/LabVIEW/C# test development, and statistical process control (SPC).

• Knowledge of PAM4 signaling, signal integrity, mixed-signal testing, and reliability standards for data center optics.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Hands-on experience with CPO-specific challenges: active alignment, thermal management, laser integration, fiber attach, and co-packaged ASIC testing.

• Familiarity with industry standards (e.g., IEEE 802.3, OIF, CMIS) and working with hyperscalers or module vendors.

• Experience in semiconductor foundry/OSAT ecosystems and transitioning from NPI to high-volume production.

• Track record of technical leadership, patents, or publications in photonics test.

• Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional…