Staff Engineer, Laser Validation
San Jose, CAJob$160–187K/yrPosted 1 day agoStill listed today
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Job overview
The Staff Engineer, Laser Validation is part of Ayar Labs’ product development team, validating critical components in multiwavelength sources for optical I/O. The engineer establishes validation capabilities, conducts tests, and provides data and analysis to support semiconductor laser design and optimization. The role works with internal teams and external suppliers and is based onsite in San Jose, California.
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Full job description
Position: Staff Engineer, Laser Validation Location: San Jose, CA
Job Id: 783
of Openings: 0
Staff Engineer, Laser Validation
Location: San Jose, CA (On-site)
Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models.
Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures.
Laser validation engineer role is a part of product development team and is focused on engineering and design validation tests of critical components implemented in multiwavelength source for optical IO. Candidates will set up the validation capabilities, carry out validation tests, and provide data sets and analysis needed for semiconductor laser design and optimization. Your feedback will be provided to the internal team as well as external suppliers.
Responsibilities • Work closely with architecture, design, product engineering, and external vendors to verify and understand expected component capabilities and testing needs.
- Close the design feedback and identify critical performance metrics with product development, perform feasibility studies to optimize laser source performance.
- Develop and implement test protocols to evaluate and compare different engineering approaches.
- Maintain testing equipment and develop processes to improve test efficiency.
- Analyze test data, document results, and provide feedback to the development team.
- Document and communicate data, and analyses.
Minimum Qualifications
- BS in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
- Understanding of semiconductor laser function and physics.
- Experience in setting up and bringing up of lab equipment and experimental setups for testing photonic devices.
- Ability to conceptually design test fixtures and test probes.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python for data collection, test automation and data analysis.
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills to identify and solve issues during the testing process.
- Ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders with clear communication.
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters or PhD in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Laser Test HW/fixture design and development experience.
- Experience in die-level, chip-on carrier characterization of semiconductor diode lasers , LEDs, SOAs, including LIV, measurements of the optical spectrum, RIN , optical noise spectrum, linewidth and thermal dependences.
- Experience testing packaged laser modules and/or transceivers for datacom applications, analysis of optical noise and effects of laser drivers on device performance.
- 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 in process transfer from small volume / NPI to mass production.
Salary Range: $160,000 to $187,000
NOTE TO RECRUITERS: Principals only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.
Ayar Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.
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How this job compares
Set against the 412 open Validation Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 14, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$160–187K/yr
- California median$139–209K/yr100 salary ranges
- US median$120–174K/yr221 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $174K, is close to the California median midpoint ($173K) — in the middle half of Validation Engineer salary ranges in California.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 144 open Validation Engineer jobs in California and 412 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Experience
- Validation Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 7 years (316 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 232 of the 412 open Validation Engineer jobs (56%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 14, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.
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