Optical Test Engineering, Senior Director

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.

Requirements

com . Senior Director, Optical Test Engineering Position Overview We are seeking an experienced Senior Director of Optical Test Engineering to lead the development, validation, and manufacturing support of advanced integrated optical interconnect solutions. This role focuses on optical-electrical integration at the module level, bridging transceiver and compute platform interfaces with comprehensive test strategy and execution.

Technical Program Management Oversee test strategy development for optical modules with embedded or adjacently mounted optical components Drive creation of comprehensive test plans covering optical performance, electrical performance, thermal management, and reliability Establish acceptance criteria and performance benchmarks aligned with data center and enterprise

Manage test equipment specifications, procurement, and deployment across manufacturing sites Validation & Reliability Champion accelerated life testing programs for integrated optical-electrical systems Develop diagnostic and characterization protocols for novel optical assembly approaches Lead root-cause analysis on field failures and manufacturing defects Ensure compliance with industry standards (IEEE, IEC, Telcordia) and customer specifications Engineering Team Development Build and mentor a team of optical test engineers, technicians, and process specialists Foster innovation in test methodology and automation Develop talent pipeline and career advancement opportunities Promote continuous learning in optical testing technologies and practices Manufacturing Support Collaborate with manufacturing operations on yield improvement and test efficiency Establish in-line test protocols and inline measurement strategies Support transition from development to production testing Drive test cost reduction through automation and optimization

Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities Preferred Qualification 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 Understa

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership Define and execute the optical test engineering roadmap for next-generation interconnect architectures Establish testing methodologies and standards for tightly integrated optical-electrical assemblies Lead cross-functional teams across optical design, electrical engineering, manufacturing, and quality Develop partnerships with ecosystem partners on test protocols and validation

Required Qualifications

Experience: 15+ years in optical engineering, with 5+ years in test engineering leadership Technical Expertise: 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 Leadership: Demonstrated success managing technical teams and cross-functional programs Industry Knowledge: Understanding of data center interconnect architectures and