Astera Labs

Optical Test Engineering, Senior Director

Astera Labs • $150K — $200K *
San Jose, CA 95123In-Person
Telecommunications & Hardware
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years in optical engineering with 5+ years in leadership roles
  • Deep knowledge of optical transceiver design and testing
  • Experience overcoming optical-electrical integration challenges
  • Proficient in optical characterization and high-speed electrical measurements
  • Strong leadership in managing technical teams and cross-functional programs
  • Industry understanding of data center interconnect architectures

Responsibilities

  • Define and implement the optical test engineering roadmap
  • Establish methodologies and standards for optical-electrical assemblies
  • Lead cross-functional teams in design and manufacturing
  • Develop partnerships for test protocols and validation
  • Oversee test strategy for optical modules
  • Drive creation of comprehensive optical performance test plans
  • Champion accelerated life testing for integrated systems
  • Build and mentor a team of optical test engineers

Benefits

  • Opportunities for continuous learning and career advancement
  • Innovative work environment fostering creativity
  • Collaborative culture with cross-functional teamwork
  • Exposure to cutting-edge optical technologies
Full Job Description
Senior Director, Optical Test Engineering
Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Director of Optical Test Engineering to lead the development, validation, and manufacturing support of advanced integrated optical interconnect solutions. This role focuses on optical-electrical integration at the module level, bridging transceiver and compute platform interfaces with comprehensive test strategy and execution.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
  • Define and execute the optical test engineering roadmap for next-generation interconnect architectures
  • Establish testing methodologies and standards for tightly integrated optical-electrical assemblies
  • Lead cross-functional teams across optical design, electrical engineering, manufacturing, and quality
  • Develop partnerships with ecosystem partners on test protocols and validation requirements
Technical Program Management
  • Oversee test strategy development for optical modules with embedded or adjacently mounted optical components
  • Drive creation of comprehensive test plans covering optical performance, electrical performance, thermal management, and reliability
  • Establish acceptance criteria and performance benchmarks aligned with data center and enterprise requirements
  • Manage test equipment specifications, procurement, and deployment across manufacturing sites
Validation & Reliability
  • Champion accelerated life testing programs for integrated optical-electrical systems
  • Develop diagnostic and characterization protocols for novel optical assembly approaches
  • Lead root-cause analysis on field failures and manufacturing defects
  • Ensure compliance with industry standards (IEEE, IEC, Telcordia) and customer specifications
Engineering Team Development
  • Build and mentor a team of optical test engineers, technicians, and process specialists
  • Foster innovation in test methodology and automation
  • Develop talent pipeline and career advancement opportunities
  • Promote continuous learning in optical testing technologies and practices
Manufacturing Support
  • Collaborate with manufacturing operations on yield improvement and test efficiency
  • Establish in-line test protocols and inline measurement strategies
  • Support transition from development to production testing
  • Drive test cost reduction through automation and optimization
Required Qualifications
  • Experience: 15+ years in optical engineering, with 5+ years in test engineering leadership
  • Technical Expertise:
    • Deep knowledge of optical transceiver design and testing
    • Experience with optical-electrical integration challenges
    • Proficiency in optical characterization (loss, dispersion, eye diagrams, jitter)
    • Fluency with high-speed electrical measurements and signal integrity
  • Leadership: Demonstrated success managing technical teams and cross-functional programs
  • Industry Knowledge: Understanding of data center interconnect architectures and requirements
  • Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities
Preferred Qualification
  • Experience with 112G+ or 200G+ optical systems
  • Familiarity with thermal management in high-density optical modules
  • Knowledge of automated test equipment (ATE) programming and optimization
  • Background in manufacturing process capability analysis
  • Understanding of substrate technologies (silicon photonics, planar lightwave circuits)
  • Advanced degree in Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
  • Strategic vision and execution
  • Technical depth and credibility
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Process improvement and lean manufacturing principles
  • Data-driven decision making
  • Communication with technical and executive audiences
  • Change management
  • Budget and resource management

About Astera Labs

Astera Labs is a semiconductor company that designs and develops purpose-built connectivity solutions for data-centric systems. The company's portfolio of products includes system-aware semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), boards, and intellectual property (IP) that are used in data center servers, storage, and networking equipment. Astera Labs' products are designed to improve the performance, latency, and power consumption of data-centric systems. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Learn more about Astera Labs
Size
51 employees
Industry
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
-$3 million
Founded
2018
Revenue
$5 million
NASDAQ
ALAB
* Ladders Estimates

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