Job Overview

Join TE Connectivity’s Passive Optics organization as a Test Engineer supporting Fiber Array Unit (FAU) product development and manufacturing readiness. This role will focus on developing optical, electro-optic, and mechanical test methods for FAU products used in advanced optical systems, including packaged optical assemblies, customer platform interfaces, PIC interfaces, PM fiber interfaces, and precision alignment architectures.

You will work with optical and mechanical Product Development Engineering, Manufacturing Process Development Engineering, Quality Engineering, lab teams, vendors, and customers to develop validation plans, verification methods, test tooling, fixtures, automation approaches, and production-ready test strategies.

***THIS ROLE IS ON-SITE AT OUR ROCHESTER LOCATION***

FAU products require precise optical and mechanical performance, including alignment stability, low optical loss, controlled fiber stress, polarization performance, and reliable assembly-level behavior. This role helps ensure FAU designs are properly validated in engineering and can be verified consistently in production.

You will help bridge product design, process development, quality requirements, customer expectations, and production execution.

Job Requirements

• Product Validation & Test Strategy

  • Develop validation plans for FAU products in partnership with optical PDE, mechanical PDE, Quality Engineering, MPDE, and lab teams
  • Define optical and mechanical verification methods for package-level and assembly-level FAU performance
  • Characterize FAU interfaces to customer platforms, packaged optical systems, and PIC-based assemblies
  • Translate customer requirements, design risks, and process risks into practical validation and verification plans
  • Create test plans, procedures, reports, acceptance criteria, data summaries, and engineering documentation

  Optical & Mechanical Test Development

  • Develop and execute test methods for insertion loss, return loss, back reflection, coupling efficiency, alignment sensitivity, and optical loss contributors
  • Support free-space optical characterization, including beam pointing, beam quality, optical coupling, and polarization performance
  • Characterize PM fiber-based FAU performance, including polarization alignment, PER, coupling sensitivity, and stress-related degradation
  • Validate passive and active alignment approaches, including precision alignment of mounting bolsters and other critical FAU design features
  • Define and execute mechanical verification methods for dimensional stability, mounting interfaces, assembly robustness, retention, and environmental performance
  • Use optical, mechanical, and process data to support root cause analysis and performance improvement

  Automation, Data Analysis & Production Support

  • Develop and improve automated optical and mechanical test routines using instrument control, structured data collection, and repeatable measurement sequences
  • Partner with MPDE to support production test platform development, including test flow, data capture, operator usability, repeatability, and engineering-to-production correlation
  • Analyze validation, engineering build, and production test data to identify performance trends, process variation, measurement variation, and failure modes
  • Support transfer of engineering test methods into scalable production verification approaches
  • Use automation and data analysis to improve test efficiency, reduce manual variation, and support manufacturing readiness

  Tooling, Fixtures & Equipment

  • Define requirements for optical and mechanical test fixtures used for FAU validation, customer interface characterization, and production verification
  • Work with mechanical PDE, MPDE, lab teams, and vendors to develop, debug, and qualify fixtures and test equipment
  • Develop, configure, and improve hands-on test equipment and measurement systems
  • Partner with Quality Engineering on measurement system analysis, repeatability and reproducibility, calibration, and test method robustness

  Design-for-Test & Cross-Functional Engagement

  • Partner with optical and mechanical PDE teams early in the design cycle to influence design-for-test, test access, alignment datum strategy, and production verification feasibility
  • Work with Quality Engineering and MPDE to define production verification methods, sampling strategies, and test execution plans
  • Interface with customers to understand validation and verification expectations and support alignment on test methodology
  • Communicate test results, validation approaches, measurement methods, and performance tradeoffs to internal and external stakeholders

What your background should look like

• BS/MS in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or related technical field
• Min of 3 years experience in optical test engineering, product validation, precision assembly, fiber optics, optical components, or related engineering fields
• Hands-on experience with fiber optic test methods, optical alignment, optical coupling, insertion loss, return loss, or related optical performance characterization
• Experience developing or executing mechanical verification methods for precision assemblies, alignment features, tooling, fixtures, or production equipment
• Experience with automation, scripting, instrument control, structured data collection, or data analysis
• Ability to develop, debug, and use test equipment, fixtures, measurement systems, and engineering laboratory setups

Technical Competencies

• Understanding of FAUs, fiber arrays, optical connectors, fiber-to-package interfaces, fiber-to-PIC interfaces, and precision optical assemblies
• Knowledge of passive alignment, active alignment, tolerance effects, fixture influence, and alignment stability
• Experience with optical measurement methods such as IL, RL, back reflection, polarization behavior, PM fiber testing, and optical loss analysis
• Familiarity with free-space optical measurement, beam pointing, optical coupling, and beam characterization
• Ability to translate product requirements, customer expectations, and design risks into validation and verification plans
• Understanding of production test strategy, measurement system capability, process controls, and design-for-test principles

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with FAU, fiber array, optical connector, packaged optics, precision optical assembly, or customer optical interface technologies
• Experience with optical coupling to PICs, laser diodes, packaged optical systems, or customer optical platforms
• Experience developing automated optical test methods or transferring engineering test methods into manufacturing environments
• Experience with Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools for test automation, instrument control, data acquisition, or data analysis
• Experience with optical alignment stages, power meters, optical sources, polarization measurement equipment, beam characterization tools, motion control, or machine vision
• Familiarity with GR&R, Cp/Cpk, SPC, sampling plans, IEC, Telcordia, or other optical component and connector qualification standards
• Experience working with customers, suppliers, or vendors on validation strategy, test equipment, tooling, fixtures, qualification planning, or technical issue resolution

Competencies