Sr. Staff Engineer, Laser Module Validation
$180,000 - $223,000 USD yearly
Transform AI infrastructure with co-packaged optics (CPO) solution.
About the role
This role focuses on the engineering and design validation testing of multiwavelength laser sources for optical I/O and their subcomponents. You will contribute to a co-packaged optics (CPO) solution manufactured in partnership with the semiconductor ecosystem.
What you'll do
- Verify and understand expected capabilities and testing needs in collaboration with architecture, design, and product engineering teams.
- Design test fixtures and test probes, and set up test fixtures and test stations for laser module characterization and validation.
- Configure and maintain instrument control and set up test recipes/sequences for automated data collection.
- Perform Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility (GRR) studies to validate and qualify test station and measurement system performance.
- Develop and implement test protocols to evaluate and compare different engineering approaches.
- Analyze test data, document results, and provide feedback to the development team.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Understanding of semiconductor laser function and physics.
- 5+ years of industry experience in module-level or chip-on-carrier characterization of lasers, LEDs, SOAs, including LIV, optical spectrum measurements, and thermal dependence.
- 5+ years of industry experience setting up and bringing up lab equipment and experimental setups for testing photonic devices.
- Ability to design test fixtures and test probes, and to set up test fixtures and test stations.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python for instrument control, test automation, data collection, and data analysis.
Nice to have
- MS or PhD in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Laser test HW/fixture design and development experience; experience working with mechanical designers on test station design.
- Experience testing packaged laser modules and/or transceivers for datacom applications.
- Experience working with test equipment including benchtop lasers, VNA, switches, OSA, ESA, BERT, optical and electrical spectrum analyzers, high speed oscilloscopes (DCA), source-meter units, reference transmitters, and receivers.
- Experience with noise characterization and laser linewidth measurements, including RIN (Relative Intensity Noise), ONA (Optical Noise Analysis), and self-homodyne / self-heterodyne test setups.
- Experience with Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility (GRR) studies and measurement system analysis.
- Experience testing optical modules including electrical control hardware and firmware, and photonic module bring-up.
- Experience in process transfer from small volume/NPI to mass production.
More semiconductor jobs: Hardware design jobs · San Jose jobs
This role has been open 44 days — below the 46-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
1126
|
Median days open
46 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$150k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Ayar Labs | All employers we track in this specialty (1126 roles · 109 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 12 | 1126 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 24 | 6531 · 156 employers |
| Median days open | 51 d | 46 d (+5 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $150k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 88 open roles · median 33 d
- KLA Corporation · 66 open roles · median 59 d
- Applied Materials · 60 open roles · median 40 d
- ASML · 59 open roles · median 17 d
- NVIDIA · 58 open roles · median 74 d
- Teradyne · 58 open roles · median 51 d
How we counted: 1126 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 109 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 8 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 Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.