Koch Industries

Test Engineer

Koch Industries$90K — $140K *
Lisle, IL 60532In-Person
Telecommunications & Hardware
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or related technical discipline.
  • Practical experience in product testing, lab operations, or reliability testing.
  • Familiarity with standard mechanical test equipment and procedures.
  • Ability to create and execute test plans and analyze results.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office tools for data analysis and reporting.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to communicate complex concepts clearly to teams.
  • Analytical thinker skilled in logical reasoning and test analysis.

Responsibilities

  • Create and execute test plans for optical fiber cable assemblies.
  • Conduct environmental, mechanical, and functional testing of cable assemblies.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product development and manufacturing.
  • Maintain laboratory equipment and ensure proper calibration.
  • Analyze test data and prepare detailed technical reports.
  • Identify critical quality aspects and implement process improvements.
  • Document test processes, specifications, and instructions.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
  • Life insurance and disability coverage.
  • Retirement plan and paid vacation/time off.
  • Educational assistance and potential infertility support.
  • Paid parental leave and adoption assistance.
Full Job Description
Your Job

We are seeking a hands-on Test Engineer focused on optical fiber and high-speed cable testing to support product development, reliability, and manufacturing validation efforts. This role will evaluate and execute mechanical and optical test plans for cable assemblies, coordinate lab activities with cross-functional teams, analyze test data, and produce clear technical reports that drive product and process improvements.

What You Will Do
  • Create, plan, and execute test plans to qualify and validate optical fiber cable assemblies (environmental, mechanical, and optical aspects).
  • Perform hands-on environmental, mechanical, and functional testing of cable assemblies and connectors according to established procedures.
  • Coordinate laboratory activities with product development, manufacturing, signal integrity, and quality teams.
  • Operate and maintain laboratory and test equipment; ensure test fixtures and instrumentation are calibrated and ready for use.
  • Record, analyze, and interpret test data; prepare detailed technical reports and presentations summarizing methods, results, and recommendations.
  • Identify critical-to-quality aspects of product design and manufacturing processes and work with teams to implement corrective and preventive actions.
  • Create and maintain test process documentation, specifications, and work instructions.
  • Support verification and validation activities, including requirements reviews and test execution tracking.


Physical Requirements & Working Conditions
  • Hands-on lab environment; ability to work with environmental and mechanical test apparatus.
  • Ability to lift 50 lbs and stand for extended periods when performing hands-on test setup and troubleshooting.


Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)
  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or a related technical discipline.
  • Practical experience in product testing, lab operations, or reliability testing.
  • Working knowledge of standard mechanical test equipment and test procedures.
  • Ability to create and execute test plans, analyze results, and document findings clearly.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for data analysis and reporting.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to convey complex technical concepts clearly to global teams.
  • Analytical thinker with the ability to apply logical reasoning, test assumptions, observe results, and make informed corrections.
  • Willing and able to travel up to 10%.


What Will Put You Ahead (Preferred Qualifications)
  • Master's degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
  • Familiarity with Telcordia and/or IEC fiber optic testing standards. GR-1435-CORE, GR-326-CORE, IEC 61300, etc.
  • Experience with Python or similar tools for data analysis and automation.
  • Experience with mechanical test equipment such as force measurement systems and flex test equipment.
  • Working knowledge of environmental chambers, optical backscatter reflectometers, interferometers, single and multimode insertion loss and return loss testing.
  • Familiarity with fiber optic cables and connectors, fiber cleaving/splicing, and connector end face inspection and cleaning.
  • Experience using relational databases (Microsoft SQL, MySQL) for test data management.
  • Understanding of ISO/IEC 17025, calibration, measurement uncertainty, test method verification, lean / six sigma training (yellow/green Belt), quality assurance/control practices, process capability, MSA/GR&R, and other process improvement tools.


For this role, we anticipate paying $90,000 - $140,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

#LI-JM3

About Koch Industries

Koch Industries, Inc. is an American privately-held multinational conglomerate corporation based in Wichita, Kansas. Its subsidiaries are involved in the manufacturing, refining, and distribution of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, intermediates and polymers, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, chemical technology equipment, ranching, finance, commodities trading, and investing. Koch owns Infor, Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Molex, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals, Matador Cattle Company, i360, and Guardian Industries. The firm employs 120,000 people in 60 countries, with about half of its business in the United States. The company is the largest non-Canadian landowner in the Athabasca oil sands. With annual revenues of $110 billion by 2014, the company is the largest privately held company in the United States. In 2007, it was ranked as the largest privately held company. If Koch Industries had been a public company in 2013, it would have ranked 17th in the Fortune 500. The company was founded by its namesake, Fred C. Koch, in 1940 after he developed an innovative crude oil refining process. Fred C. Koch died in 1967 and his majority interest in the company was split amongst his four sons. In June 1983, after a bitter legal and boardroom battle, the stakes of Frederick R. Koch and William "Bill" Koch were bought out for $1.1 billion and Charles Koch and David Koch became majority owners in the company. Charles owns 42% of the company; trusts for the benefit of Elaine Tettemer Marshall and Elaine's children, Preston Marshall and E. Pierce Marshall Jr., own 16% of the company. The heirs of David Koch, who died on August 23, 2019, own the balance, 42%, of the corporation.
Learn more about Koch Industries
Industry
Founded
1940

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Koch Industries

  • Koch Industries
    Investment Associate
    $90K — $110K *
    Wichita, KS 67212 (Sedgwick County)
    Finance & Insurance
    In-Person
  • Koch Industries
    Mechanical Integrity Coordinator
    $110K — $125K *
    Big Island, VA 24526 (Bedford County)
    Energy & Utilities
    In-Person
  • Koch Industries
    Process Engineer
    $80K — $95K *
    Wichita, KS 67212 (Sedgwick County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • Koch Industries
    Shipping Manager
    $90K — $120K *
    Olympia, WA 98501 (Thurston County)
    Transportation
    In-Person
  • Koch Industries
    Test Engineer
    $90K — $140K *
    Lisle, IL 60532 (Dupage County)
    Telecommunications & Hardware
    In-Person

More Telecommunications & Hardware Jobs

Find similar Test Engineer jobs: