Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.
Job Summary
We are seeking a visionary and execution-focused Senior Director of Optical Test to lead end-to-end optical test strategy, development, and high-volume manufacturing readiness across our photonics product portfolio. This role will define and drive a comprehensive test roadmap spanning silicon photonics, optical engines, and optical modules, ensuring best-in-class performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in photonics and semiconductor test with proven leadership in scaling products from R&D to high-volume production while driving yield, quality, and cost optimization.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and execute a comprehensive end-to-end optical test roadmap, including Silicon photonics wafer probe testing, Photonics package test, Optical engine characterization, Optical module production test and Reliability testing.
- Own and lead overall test strategy, balancing test coverage, tester throughput, test cost, capital expenditure planning and product quality.
- Build, lead, and scale a high-performing global organization with full ownership of end-to-end test platforms.
- Drive manufacturing readiness, including ownership of factory yield KPIs, production test bring up and volume ramp execution.
- Architect and deploy high-volume automated test equipment (ATE) for optical and photonics products.
- Develop and implement yield-learning frameworks to accelerate defect detection, root cause analysis, and yield improvement.
- Lead initiatives to reduce cost of test through automation, architecture optimization, and test time reduction.
- Scale test infrastructure and methodologies from engineering samples to high-volume manufacturing.
- Partner across cross-functional organizations including photonics design, packaging, validation, operations and quality & reliability to plan and execute production testing.
- Collaborate with foundries, OSATs, and global manufacturing operations to ensure robust test deployment and execution.
- Drive continuous improvement in yield, test coverage, test time and production efficiency.
- Provide technical leadership in design reviews, DfT strategy, and product qualification
Qualifications & Requirements
- MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Physics, Semiconductor Engineering, or related field
- 15+ years of experience in semiconductor and/or photonics test engineering. 10+ years of experience leading complex test development programs and engineering organizations
- Strong experience with silicon photonics production testing, optical module test, and high-speed optical systems.
- Hands-on experience testing 100G / 200G / 400G PAM4 optical modules and optical engine sub-assemblies.
- Demonstrated expertise in developing production-scale photonics test systems. Experience building and deploying high-volume ATE platforms.
- Deep understanding of yield engineering, statistical process control (SPC), reliability qualification and design-for-test (DFT) principles.
- Experience working with foundries, OSATs, and global manufacturing ecosystems.
- Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with silicon photonics or co-packaged optics (CPO) testing.
- Expertise in test automation, data infrastructure, and analytics-driven yield optimization.
- Familiarity with industry standards (e.g., Telcordia, IEC).
We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.
Skills Required
- 15+ years in optical engineering with 5+ years in test engineering leadership
- Deep knowledge of optical transceiver design and testing
- Experience with optical-electrical integration challenges
- Proficiency in optical characterization (loss, dispersion, eye diagrams, jitter)
- Fluency with high-speed electrical measurements and signal integrity
- Demonstrated success managing technical teams and cross-functional programs
- Understanding of data center interconnect architectures and requirements
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities
- Experience with 112G+ or 200G+ optical systems
- Familiarity with thermal management in high-density optical modules
- Knowledge of automated test equipment (ATE) programming and optimization
- Background in manufacturing process capability analysis
- Understanding of substrate technologies (silicon photonics, planar lightwave circuits)
- Advanced degree in Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
Astera Labs Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Astera Labs and has not been reviewed or approved by Astera Labs.
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Healthcare Strength — Health plans are described as competitive and employer-subsidized, covering medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents. Company materials and listings consistently emphasize strong core healthcare coverage.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Flexible time off is highlighted alongside paid company holidays, with guidance indicating generous PTO when coordinated with teams. Documented policies also point to robust time-off structures across locations.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock-based compensation is a meaningful part of total pay, with RSUs and an employee stock purchase plan noted as part of the package. Public-company status enhances perceived value and accessibility of equity components.
Astera Labs Insights
What We Do
Astera Labs Inc., a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, is a leader in purpose-built connectivity solutions for data-centric systems throughout the data center. Partnering with leading processor vendors, cloud service providers, seasoned investors, and world-class manufacturing companies, Astera Labs is helping customers remove performance bottlenecks in data-intensive systems that are limiting the true potential of applications such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The company’s product portfolio includes system-aware semiconductor integrated circuits, boards, and services to enable robust CXL, PCIe, and Ethernet connectivity.
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