Senior Optical Test Development Engineer (Lidar Manufacturing)

Lyte • Sunnyvale, CA

1d • $150,000 - $260,000

About The Position

Lyte is hiring a hands-on optical test engineer to own the testers that screen incoming optical components and verify outgoing optical subsystems, from lab concept through mass production. The role defines how each part is measured, develops and validates measurement methods in the lab, specifies testers, and works with an external tester integrator to build, accept, and replicate qualified stations at manufacturing partners in Asia. The optics support Lyte’s laser-based 4D sensing platform and range from lenses and micro-optics to full optical subsystems.

The engineer will develop measurement methods and lab prototypes, including instrument selection, opto-mechanical fixturing and motion, control software, and repeatability studies. They will deliver incoming quality control (IQC) and outgoing quality control (OQC) stations, establish acceptance limits and correlate subsystem measurements with system-level sensing performance. They will scale qualified testers across manufacturing lines and partner sites, maintain measurement traceability and station health, and support production ramp through training, work instructions, statistical process control, root-cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action.

In the first 90 days, the engineer is expected to learn the optical subsystem and specifications, review existing IQC and OQC plans and lab setups, agree on a tester roadmap with their manager, and issue the first priority tester specification to the integrator. By six months, the first tester is expected to pass factory and site acceptance testing, with gauge R&R and correlation to lab reference data completed. By 12 months, qualified testers should be replicated across production lines with tool-to-tool matching proven, operating in volume with yield, throughput, and OEE reported, and daily operation handed to manufacturing.

Requirements

• B.S. in optical engineering, photonics, physics, electrical or mechanical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on test development experience.
• At least 5 years developing automated production test equipment for optical or optoelectronic products, such as camera modules, lens assemblies, laser or photodetector modules, lidar, or other electro-optical sensors.
• Recent hands-on factory-floor experience taking an optical tester from lab prototype into volume production at a CM, OSAT, or supplier site, including replicating it as multiple matched stations.
• Experience writing equipment specifications and managing an external equipment builder or test integrator through factory and site acceptance.
• Hands-on use of optical test instruments, including MTF or resolution benches, collimators, interferometers, optical power meters, beam profilers, and spectrometers or optical spectrum analyzers.
• Test automation programming in Python or LabVIEW; C++, C#, or MATLAB are also welcome.
• Working knowledge of measurement system analysis and production statistics, including gauge R&R, Cp/Cpk, and SPC.
• Willingness to travel to manufacturing sites in Asia up to 25% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Test experience with lidar or laser transmitter and receiver optics; FMCW or other coherent detection systems are a strong plus.
• Camera and lens metrology experience, including distortion mapping, chief ray angle, focal length, stray light, and ghost image characterization.
• Experience with micro-optics or active alignment processes in production.
• Experience with MES integration, SECS/GEM, or other shop-floor data collection systems.
• Experience with machine vision and robotic or conveyor part handling in production test stations.
• Experience using JMP or Minitab for data analysis and SolidWorks for fixture design.
• Working relationships with contract manufacturing and OSAT partners in Taiwan or Southeast Asia.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in a related field.

Responsibilities

• Own optical testers from concept through mass production, including equipment specifications, design reviews, factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), and handoff of qualified stations to operations.
• Develop and prove measurement methods, build lab prototypes, select instruments, design opto-mechanical fixturing and motion, write control software, and conduct gauge repeatability and reproducibility (gauge R&R) studies.
• Deliver incoming quality control (IQC) stations for screening lenses, micro-optics, optical windows, and optical subassemblies against Lyte specifications.
• Deliver outgoing quality control (OQC) stations to verify optical subsystems and, where required, full modules for alignment, optical power and transmittance, modulation transfer function (MTF) and resolution, wavefront error, back focal distance, and stray light.
• Set acceptance limits based on optical and opto-mechanical tolerances, with process capability (Cp/Cpk) targets agreed with optical design and quality engineering.
• Correlate subsystem test results with 4D sensing system metrics, including range accuracy and precision, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal intensity, and point-cloud quality.
• Scale qualified testers across lines and sites with automation teams at contract manufacturers (CMs), outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) partners, and final assembly partners; prove tool-to-tool matching on each copy.
• Train operators, write work instructions, support pilot builds through ramp, and manage first-pass yield, throughput, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) using statistical process control (SPC), root-cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action.
• Maintain golden units, calibration standards, and traceability for IQC and OQC equipment, and connect station data to the manufacturing execution system (MES).
• Travel to manufacturing sites in Asia as required, up to 25% of the time.

Benefits

• Salary and equity, with the equity grant set at the offer stage.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Flexible vacation and time-off policy.
• Collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive work environment.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies with a highly cross-functional team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior