Systems Test Engineer - Optical (Optical Systems)

Location: Carlsbad, California, United States or Tempe, Arizona, United States. U.S. Citizenship is required, and the role requires the ability to obtain a United States Secret Clearance.

Salary: $141,500–$224,000 annually; $176,000–$264,000 annually for specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New York City metropolitan area.

Company

hirify.global develops global communication solutions serving consumers, businesses, governments, and militaries.

What you will do

• Define verification and validation strategies, derive test requirements, and develop system-level test plans, procedures, and verification matrices.
• Design optical, electrical, RF, and system-level test architectures, fixtures, calibration methods, and automated test solutions.
• Execute optical characterization, link performance, BER, receiver sensitivity, PAT, environmental, qualification, integration, field, demonstration, and customer acceptance testing.
• Analyze test data, assess performance against system requirements, and troubleshoot multidisciplinary system integration issues.
• Lead root-cause investigations, corrective actions, technical documentation, design reviews, and presentations to engineering teams, customers, and program leadership.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians, influence architecture and design decisions, and support proposals, cost estimates, standardization, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of experience designing, developing, integrating, and testing complex hardware systems.
• Experience developing and executing test strategies for fiber-optic, free-space optical, photonic, electro-optical, RF, digital, or integrated communication systems.
• Experience developing automated test solutions with Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C#, or similar programming languages, and designing, integrating, and troubleshooting automated test systems.
• Experience with optical laboratory instrumentation including optical spectrum analyzers, optical power meters, BER test sets, high-speed oscilloscopes, optical attenuators, network analyzers, and signal generators.
• Experience with data analysis, performance characterization, and troubleshooting multidisciplinary system-level issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to lead technical efforts, influence engineering decisions, and work effectively in fast-paced environments with evolving requirements.
• U.S. Citizenship required. Ability to obtain Secret Clearance.
• Travel is approximately 10% when located at the Carlsbad facility and as needed when located elsewhere.

Nice to have

• Free-space optical communications, optical link budgets, system performance models, and tools such as MATLAB, Zemax, Code V, STK, or OptiSystem.
• RF, digital communications, networking, embedded systems, satellite communications, space systems, or DoD program experience.
• Automated production or acceptance test systems and environmental qualification testing, including vibration, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, and shock.
• Multidisciplinary engineering leadership, optical alignment, wavefront analysis, laser system characterization, Agile methodologies, or active Secret, TS, or TS/SCI clearance.

Culture & Benefits

• Regular employment supporting development, qualification, manufacturing, and customer acceptance programs.
• Inclusive environment focused on positive impact and collaboration across engineering, customer, and program teams.
• Medical, financial, stock or cash incentive, and other benefits may be provided depending on the position.
• Work includes approximately 10% travel from Carlsbad or travel as needed from other locations.