Bring-Up Photonics Technician
Originally posted 17 September 2026 by the employer.
About the role
This role supports R&D and characterization efforts for integrated photonic devices and modules through hands-on testing, optical and electrical measurements, and lab equipment maintenance. Work focuses on packaged, fiber-pigtailed modules such as TOSA, transceivers, and ELSFP-form-factor modules alongside silicon photonic integrated circuits.
What you'll do
- Set up and operate optical and electrical test stations for packaged, fiber-pigtailed modules including TOSA, transceiver modules, and ELSFP-form-factor devices.
- Run laser system characterizations such as output spectrum, output power, and SMSR, alongside high-speed electrical interface checks.
- Handle, inspect, clean, and prepare optical fibers and connectors using established low-loss coupling practices.
- Operate test instruments including optical spectrum analyzers (OSA), optical power meters, photodiode receivers, tunable lasers, source meters, and oscilloscopes.
- Execute established measurement plans and run automated measurement scripts in Python or LabVIEW across devices, modules, and wafer/build lots.
- Maintain optical test stations, support calibration checks and equipment upkeep, and ensure compliance with laser safety and ESD handling procedures.
What you'll need
- B.S. in Photonics, Optics, Electronics, Laser Technology, or a related field.
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in an optics, photonics, or fiber-optics lab environment across device-level and module/package-level test.
- Proficiency in fiber handling fundamentals including connector inspection, cleaning, cleaving, and low-loss coupling.
- Working knowledge of telecom-band fiber-optic components (isolators, circulators, WDM filters, splitters, polarization controllers) and O-band/C-band conventions.
- Working knowledge of silicon photonic integrated circuits (Sipho PICs), including waveguides, MZIs, photodetectors, and couplers.
- Basic electronics skills including soldering, rework, cable/harness assembly, schematic reading, and simple wiring debug.
- Ability to run Python or LabVIEW-based measurement scripts and perform basic data handling.
- Understanding of photonic performance metrics including insertion loss, extinction ratio, and responsivity.
Nice to have
- Understanding of semiconductor laser physical characteristics including LIV curves, polarization behavior, wavelength tuning vs. drive current and temperature, and SMSR.
- Experience operating laser diode drivers, precision current sources, and TEC/temperature controllers.
- Familiarity with laser measurements such as linewidth, RIN, wavelength stability, or side-mode behavior using wavelength meters or high-resolution OSAs.
- Exposure to environmental or reliability testing such as burn-in, temperature cycling, or long-duration stability monitoring.
- Familiarity with data analysis tools including Excel or Python with pandas/matplotlib.
- Familiarity with RF test setups or high-speed optoelectronic measurements.
- Experience with module-level assembly and test, including pigtailing/alignment support and packaged part functional testing.
More semiconductor jobs: Silicon validation jobs · Santa Clara jobs
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 63-day median for Post-Silicon Validation roles.
Post-Silicon Validation · Design Verification
|
Open roles in category
123
|
Median days open
63 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$190k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Xscape Photonics | All employers we track in this specialty (123 roles · 32 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 123 |
| Open roles in the wider Silicon Validation & Test family | 5 | 2368 · 121 employers |
| Median days open | 0 d | 63 d (−63 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $190k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 19 open roles · median 46 d
- AMD · 16 open roles · median 82 d
- NVIDIA · 13 open roles · median 88 d
- Graphcore · 9 open roles · median 139 d
- Arm Holdings · 8 open roles · median 6 d
- Micron Technology · 6 open roles · median 211 d
How we counted: 123 open Post-Silicon Validation (Design Verification) roles from 32 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 3 Nov 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Silicon Validation & Test family row. Figures refresh nightly.