Staff Manufacturing Photonics Test Engineer

Aurora•Mountain View, CA

2d•$181,000 - $290,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Staff Manufacturing Photonics Test Engineer supports manufacturing through test and automation for production of Aurora hardware. The role develops and maintains automated test solutions for wafer-level and chip-level integrated photonic circuits and integrated Lidar modules; interfaces test software with cameras, stages, and optoelectronic equipment; and tests and characterizes passive and active integrated photonic components. The engineer also builds optical setups to evaluate new ideas and debug optical chips, modules, and systems, and supports development of integrated photonics packaging solutions. The role manages and analyzes production test data to track performance metrics, prioritize issues, and drive continuous improvement with cross-functional teams. It provides technical test support to local manufacturing areas, locations, and customers as needed. The successful candidate is data-driven, effective at complex problem solving, has software and hardware engineering skills, takes a product-focused approach, and can lead cross-functional efforts. International travel to a contract manufacturer for on-site bring-up and support is required. Aurora expects employees to work from the office at least three days per week, with some roles requiring up to five days based on operational needs. The position offers a base salary range of $181,000–$290,000 per year, plus eligibility for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Requirements

Master’s or Ph.D. degree in physics, electrical and computer engineering, or a relevant field.
At least 5 years of research or industrial experience with photonics testing.
Fundamental understanding of electronics, optics, and integrated photonics.
Proficiency in Python or a similar object-oriented programming language.
Ability to work in a fast-paced team environment.
Ability to travel internationally to a contract manufacturer for on-site bring-up and support.

Nice To Haves

Experience with automated wafer-level or chip-level photonics testers.
Experience with reliability testing for integrated photonics products.
Experience characterizing high-speed opto-electrical components.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain automated test solutions for wafer-level and chip-level integrated photonic circuits and integrated Lidar modules.
Develop software to interface with cameras, stages, and optoelectronic test equipment.
Test and characterize passive and active integrated photonic components.
Build optical setups to test new ideas and debug optical chips, modules, and systems.
Support development of packaging solutions for integrated photonics.
Manage and analyze data to track production test performance metrics, prioritize issues, and drive continuous improvement with cross-functional teams.
Provide technical test support to local manufacturing areas, locations, and customers as needed.
Travel internationally to a contract manufacturer for on-site bring-up and support.