Senior Optical Test Engineer- Optical Transceivers

Acceler8Talent is proud to partner with a well-funded, VC-backed AI/networking hardware startup in the SF Bay area that’s redefining infrastructure for the world’s largest hyperscalers. Operating under a Joint Development Model (JDM), this company co-develops highly customized networking hardware, optics, and software solutions tailored to the evolving needs of large-scale AI workloads in data centers.

With over $110M in funding and rapid expansion underway, they're now looking to hire a Senior Optical Test Engineer to lead the qualification, validation, and system-level testing of high-speed optical modules (e.g., 400G, 800G, 1.6T) used in advanced datacenter and AI networking environments.

Responsibilities

• Lab Bring-Up and Test Automation: Setup and maintain test environments using BERTs, power meters, oscilloscopes, and traffic generators. Automate workflows using Python.
• Optical Module Qualification: Test and characterize transceivers across temperature, voltage, and traffic conditions to ensure performance and compliance.
• System-Level Validation: Validate module performance in switch ASIC systems and AI networking setups. Capture metrics like BER, power consumption, thermal stability, and link reliability under stress.
• Debug and Analysis: Troubleshoot performance issues such as signal integrity degradation, module misbehavior, or unexpected power/thermal behavior. Collaborate with cross-functional teams for root-cause analysis.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience testing optical modules or electrical/optical systems
• Hands-on experience in high-speed optical transmission testing, including fiber links, and state of the art test equipment: BERT, oscilloscope, DCA, power meters, OSA, thermal chambers
• Strong Python scripting skills for lab automation and programming languages for data collection and analysis
• Familiarity with CMIS, MDIO, or I²C interfaces
• Understanding of high-speed protocols such as Ethernet, PCIe, or SerDes
• Industry experience working with 400G/800G/1.6T pluggable modules (QSFP-DD, OSFP)
• Knowledge of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, MSA or OIF standards including CMIS
• Experience validating hardware in datacenter or AI cluster environments
• Familiarity with environmental and reliability testing (temperature cycling, HTOL, etc.)