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Senior Photonic RF R&D Test Engineer

Openlight

Goleta, CAJob$130–230K/yrPosted 4 days agoStill listed 3 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$130–230K/yr
Location
Goleta, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Master's degree

Job overview

The Senior Photonic RF R&D Test Engineer will develop and execute test solutions for silicon photonics devices and photonic integrated circuits at wafer, die, and package levels. The role focuses on high-speed electro-optic modulator testing, optical eye testing, and transceiver validation. Based in Goleta, California, the engineer will work with a collaborative test engineering team and communicate test plans, results, and project status to internal and external customers.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Photonic TestingHigh-Speed RF TestingPythonData AcquisitionData AnalysisModel FittingAnalytical SkillsProblem-SolvingCollaborationIndependent WorkWritten CommunicationVerbal Communication

Qualifications

Advanced Degree in Electrical/Optical Engineering or Physics

Benefits

Medical Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off

Full job description

The Role As a member of OpenLight’s test engineering team based in Goleta, CA, you will work closely with a team of experienced engineers in designing, implementing, automating and executing test solutions to validate the functionality of Silicon Photonics devices and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) at the wafer, die, and package levels. The testing focus is high-speed electro-optic modulator testing of S parameters up to 100 GHz and eye diagrams with data rates up to 400 Gb/s. If you have a strong background in optical and electrical device testing with experience in test automation, this role may be an excellent fit for you!

OpenLight Photonics is an innovative start-up at the forefront of photonic integration, commercializing our cutting-edge heterogeneously integrated silicon photonics platform. OpenLight has a PDK that supports customers designing Photonic ASICs (PASICs) for applications in communications, LIDAR, quantum computing, sensing, and more. OpenLight has over 400 patents covering the integration of many different active and passive components, such as tunable lasers, DFBs, SOAs, modulators, switches, filters, and detectors, onto a single, silicon photonics chip. Join us in an exciting start-up environment with ample opportunities for growth and professional development.

What You Will Do

  • Develop custom test hardware and automated test software for wafer and die testing on our proprietary test stations
  • Design and implement custom test solutions for 100-400 Gb/s optical eye testing at the die and wafer level and execute DVT testing on 1.6T and 3.2 T optical transceivers using industry-standard equipment like BERTs, DCAs, VNAs, and AWGs.
  • Match experimental data to modulator equivalent circuit models
  • Implement different methods of measuring laser RIN and compare their performance
  • Write and debug the test automation scripts in python, implement and verify the analysis equations, and execute the tests on the designated test station
  • Perform data analysis in JMP or python, and communicate with internal and external customers on the test plans, results, and project status
  • Supervise our facilities technician and equipment contractors for ongoing equipment maintenance

Your Background Includes

  • Advanced degree in Electrical/Optical Engineering or Physics
  • Experience in photonic and high-speed RF testing
  • Programming experience, preferably in Python
  • Demonstrated experience in data acquisition systems and data analysis, and fitting test data to model equations
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
  • Initiative and ability to work independently
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation and reporting

About OpenLight OpenLight Photonics is an innovative start-up at the forefront of photonic integration, commercializing our cutting-edge heterogeneously integrated silicon photonics platform. OpenLight has a PDK that supports customers designing Photonic ASICs (PASICs) for applications in communications, LIDAR, quantum computing, sensing, and more. OpenLight has over 300 patents covering the integration of many different active and passive components, such as tunable lasers, DFBs, SOAs, modulators, switches, filters, and detectors, onto a single, silicon photonics chip. Join us in an exciting start-up environment with ample opportunities for growth and professional development.

We continue with a hybrid schedule, with a standard of three days/week in office; you select the days you're in, based on what's best for your work priorities.

OpenLight's salary for technical roles is dependent on the skills and experience of the individual, their primary work location, and other parameters; annual salary will generally be somewhere between $130,000-$230,000. In addition to cash compensation, OpenLight offers incentive stock options (ISOs), generous insurance support, 401k matching, unlimited vacation, spot bonuses, and a positive work environment. If you are excited about solving challenging problems, advancing cutting-edge technology, and working with a highly collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.

How this job compares

Set against the 581 open Test Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 3, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$130–230K/yr
  • California median$147–196K/yr109 salary ranges
  • US median$121–183K/yr344 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $180K, is 5% above the California median midpoint ($172K) — in the middle half of Test Engineering salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 162 open Test Engineering jobs in California and 581 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
Test Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 8 years (429 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a master's degree; 2 of the 581 open Test Engineering jobs (under 1%) ask for a master's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 3, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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