Associate Test Engineer, Photonics Systems

About us

nEye.ai, a well-funded optical switch startup, is poised to revolutionize the future of data centers. nEye’s MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switches (OCS) eliminate critical bottlenecks in AI processing by enabling direct optical connections among thousands of GPUs and memory units. The company's OCS is an ultra-low power consumption, high radix, compact chip-scale design, offering hyperscale data centers enhanced performance, efficiency, and scalability.

Job Overview

We’re looking for an Associate Test Engineer to join our team in Emeryville and play a critical role in accelerating development of next-generation silicon photonics systems.

This is a hands-on, lab-based role focused on executing test plans, collecting high-quality data, and working closely with engineers and external foundries to rapidly diagnose issues and improve device performance.

You’ll operate at the intersection of nanofabrication, photonics testing, and failure analysis, helping close the loop between design, fabrication, and validation.

Key Responsibilities

Required Qualifications

Nice to Have Skills

• Experience with wafer-level testing or probe stations
• Exposure to nanofabrication or cleanroom environments

Key Responsibilities

• Execute optical, electrical, and wafer-level testing for silicon photonics devices and subsystems
• Operate and maintain lab equipment (probe stations, optical alignment setups, laser characterization tools, etc.)
• Run structured test plans and experiments; collect, organize, and analyze data
• Perform GR&R, calibration, and measurement validation to ensure data quality and repeatability
• Troubleshoot test setups and equipment,; escalate root cause hypotheses
• Work with external foundries and partners to support fast iteration cycles—tracking issues, reviewing data, and helping drive corrective actions
• Document test procedures, results, and learnings to improve team efficiency and reproducibility
• Help build and refine test infrastructure, automation, and lab workflows over time

Required Skills

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)
• 1 - 4 years of experience in hardware testing, photonics, semiconductors, or lab-based engineering environments
• Strong hands-on experience with lab equipment, debugging, and experimental work
• Exposure to optics/photonics, lasers, or semiconductor devices (academic or industry)
• Experience executing test plans and working with structured data collection
• Familiarity with measurement systems, calibration, or GR&R is a plus
• Comfortable working closely with engineers and contributing to technical problem solving
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and data integrity
• Curious, proactive, and excited to learn in a fast-paced startup environment
• Deep familiarity using AI tools (e.g., LLMs, copilots) to accelerate engineering workflows, debugging, and problem-solving.

Desired Skills

• Experience with wafer-level testing or probe stations
• Exposure to nanofabrication or cleanroom environments

$105,000 - $145,000 a year

Starting salary and title will depend on, and be commensurate with, relevant experience, skills, training, education, market demands, and the ultimate job duties and requirements.

nEye.ai is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.