Optical Component Evaluation Engineer - USA - CA - San Jose (Ridder), United States
$59,650 - $85,250 USD yearly
Originally posted 27 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Lumentum Operations LLC is seeking an Optical Component Evaluation Engineer for the characterization, testing, and qualification of optical components for telecommunications and data communications products. This position involves hands-on testing, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration with design and manufacturing teams.
What you'll do
- Develop and execute test plans for the evaluation of optical components such as lasers, detectors, modulators, waveguides, fibers, and passive devices.
- Perform hands-on optical, electrical, and environmental testing using optical spectrum analyzers, power meters, oscilloscopes, network analyzers, and environmental chambers.
- Analyze test data, generate detailed reports, and provide recommendations for component selection, design improvements, and manufacturing processes.
- Work with R&D, design, and product engineering teams to define component specifications and ensure performance requirements are met.
- Identify and troubleshoot optical component failures, conduct root cause analysis, and propose corrective actions.
- Contribute to the development and improvement of automated test systems and data analysis tools.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Physics, or a related field.
- Experience in optical component testing and characterization.
- Strong understanding of optical principles, fiber optics, and semiconductor physics.
- Hands-on experience with optical test and measurement equipment (such as OSAs, power meters, BERTs, and optical benches).
- Proficiency in data analysis tools (such as Python, MATLAB, JMP, or Excel).
Nice to have
- Experience with automated test equipment (ATE) and scripting for test automation.
- Familiarity with industry standards for optical components (such as Telcordia and IEC).
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 53-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
1022
|
Median days open
53 d
|
Median salary
$155k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Lumentum | All employers we track in this specialty (1022 roles · 100 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 11 | 1022 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 29 | 6331 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 22 d | 53 d (−31 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $155k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 76 open roles · median 40 d
- KLA Corporation · 63 open roles · median 54 d
- Teradyne · 58 open roles · median 40 d
- Applied Materials · 49 open roles · median 68 d
- NVIDIA · 49 open roles · median 71 d
- AMD · 43 open roles · median 57 d
How we counted: 1022 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 100 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 28 Oct 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 Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.