Systems Test Engineer - Optical

Viasat, Inc. • Carlsbad, CA

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About The Position

Viasat is hiring a Systems Test Engineer for optical systems. The role develops and executes comprehensive test strategies for optical communication systems and supports system-level testing across a broad portfolio of products and technologies. The engineer works with systems and design engineers early in the development lifecycle to incorporate testability into product designs and verification approaches.

The position leads test planning, test-system architecture, automation development, troubleshooting, and performance characterization, providing technical leadership across programs. It operates with minimal supervision and supports development, qualification, manufacturing, and customer acceptance testing. The work also includes system integration, field testing, demonstrations, environmental testing, technical documentation and presentations, mentoring, and contributions to proposals and continuous improvement initiatives.

The position requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a Secret Clearance. Travel is approximately 10% for employees located at the Carlsbad, California facility, and as needed for employees located elsewhere.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 7 years of experience designing, developing, integrating, and testing complex hardware systems.
• Experience developing and executing test strategies for fiber-optic, free-space optical (FSO), photonic, electro-optical, RF, digital, or integrated communication systems.
• Experience developing automated test solutions using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C#, or similar programming languages.
• Experience designing, integrating, and troubleshooting automated test systems.
• Experience with optical laboratory instrumentation such as Optical Spectrum Analyzers (OSA), Optical Power Meters, BER Test Sets, high-speed oscilloscopes, optical attenuators, network analyzers, and signal generators.
• Experience performing data analysis and performance characterization of complex systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot multidisciplinary system-level issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead technical efforts and influence engineering decisions.
• Ability to work effectively in fast-paced environments with evolving requirements.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain Secret Clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with free-space optical communications systems.
• Experience developing optical link budgets and system performance models.
• Experience using MATLAB, Zemax, Code V, STK, OptiSystem, or similar modeling tools.
• Experience with RF, digital communications, networking, embedded systems, or satellite communications technologies.
• Experience developing automated production or acceptance test systems.
• Experience supporting satellite communications, space systems, or DoD programs.
• Experience with environmental qualification testing, including vibration, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, and shock.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Knowledge of optical alignment, wavefront analysis, and laser system characterization.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies.
• Active Secret, TS, or TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Define verification and validation strategies for optical systems, subsystems, and integrated hardware platforms.
• Work with Systems Engineering to derive test requirements from customer and program specifications.
• Develop system-level test plans, procedures, validation methods, and verification matrices.
• Design and implement optical, electrical, RF, and system-level test architectures, fixtures, and calibration methodologies.
• Develop automated test solutions using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C#, or similar tools.
• Design and execute optical characterization tests, including optical power and loss measurements, link performance, BER, receiver sensitivity, PAT validation, and environmental and qualification testing.
• Support testing of integrated systems containing optical, RF, digital, networking, and embedded technologies.
• Analyze test data and generate performance assessments against system requirements.
• Troubleshoot complex optical, electrical, software, mechanical, networking, and system integration issues.
• Develop and maintain calibration plans for automated test equipment and optical instrumentation.
• Support system integration, field testing, demonstrations, environmental testing, and customer acceptance activities.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective action efforts for development and production hardware.
• Generate technical documentation, test reports, procedures, and design review materials.
• Present technical findings to program leadership, customers, and engineering teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians in systems test methodologies, automation, and best practices.
• Influence system architecture and design decisions to improve testability, manufacturability, reliability, and operational performance.
• Support proposal activities, technical volume development, and cost estimating as needed.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives supporting test automation, standardization, and operational efficiency across the Systems Test organization.

Benefits

• The company describes a range of medical, financial, and other benefits focused on holistic health and wellness; specific benefits are not enumerated in the posting.
• Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package.

What This Job Offers

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