Applications Engineering Manager Jobs in Rochester, NY

Job Title: Senior Manager, Optical Quality & Reliability Engineering
Posting Start Date: 7/30/26
At TE, you will unleash your potential working with people from diverse backgrounds and industries to create a safer, sustainable and more connected world.
Job Description:
Job Overview
Senior Manager, Optical Quality & Reliability Engineering
At TE, you will unleash your potential working with people from diverse backgrounds and industries to create a safer, sustainable, and more connected world.
Job Overview
Senior Manager, Optical Quality & Reliability Engineering
Passive Optical Engineering | Digital Data Networks (DDN) Business Unit | TE Connectivity
TE Connectivity is seeking a Senior Manager of Optical Quality & Reliability Engineering to lead quality and reliability initiatives for advanced passive optical solutions supporting AI, cloud, and hyperscale data center infrastructure.
In this highly visible leadership role, you will define and execute quality strategies for Fiber Attachment Unit (FAU) assemblies and optical interconnect products throughout development, qualification, and manufacturing. You will lead a team of quality and reliability engineers, establish world-class measurement and validation processes, and drive continuous improvement across product design, supplier quality, manufacturing, and customer-facing quality performance.
This position combines technical leadership in optical metrology and reliability engineering with strategic responsibility for product quality, supplier performance, and operational excellence.
Why This Role Matters
As AI and next-generation networking technologies continue to scale, reliability and optical performance have become critical competitive differentiators. In this role, you will establish the quality and reliability standards that ensure TE's optical interconnect solutions meet the demanding requirements of hyperscale data centers and mission-critical networking applications.
Location Note: Operations are currently based at a temporary facility in Webster, NY. The team will transition to a permanent Rochester location near RIC upon completion.
Job Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Quality & Reliability Leadership
• Lead the Optical Quality & Reliability Engineering function for passive optical products and FAU assemblies.
• Develop and execute quality strategies that support new product development, qualification, manufacturing, and customer requirements.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of quality and reliability engineers.
• Establish key quality metrics, reliability targets, and performance dashboards.
• Partner with Product Development, Manufacturing, Operations, Supplier Quality, and Customer Quality teams to drive world-class product performance.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, and operational excellence.
Advanced Optical Characterization & Metrology
• Lead precision optical measurement and characterization activities, including:
o Insertion Loss (IL)
o Return Loss (RL)
o Crosstalk Analysis
o Optical Backscatter Reflectometry (OBR/OFDR)
o State of Polarization (SOP)
o Polarization Extinction Ratio (PER)
o Polarity Verification
• Oversee laser beam profiling, lens characterization, and optical coupling efficiency optimization.
• Develop and standardize advanced optical alignment, beam-pointing, and stability validation methods.
• Drive supplier qualification, incoming quality validation, and optical capability assessments.
Reliability Engineering & Product Qualification
• Establish reliability requirements and qualification plans for optical interconnect products.
• Develop accelerated life testing methodologies and environmental stress screening programs.
• Lead reliability modeling, Weibull analysis, failure-rate prediction, and product life assessments.
• Oversee thermal cycling, humidity exposure, vibration, shock, and mechanical stress testing.
• Drive root cause investigations and corrective actions for field, customer, and manufacturing quality issues.
Statistical Quality Engineering
• Implement Statistical Process Control (SPC) methodologies across optical manufacturing and test operations.
• Lead process capability studies, including Cp/Cpk analysis, to improve yield and process robustness.
• Drive Six Sigma, DMAIC, and Design of Experiments (DOE) initiatives to reduce variation and improve performance.
• Establish Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Gauge R&R, calibration, and traceability programs for optical test systems.
• Utilize statistical tools and data analytics to identify trends, improve quality, and support strategic decision-making.
Advanced Optics & Test Development
• Utilize advanced interferometric techniques including:
o White-light interferometry
o Coherence-scanning interferometry
o Phase-shift interferometry
• Lead wavefront characterization, aberration measurements, optical path difference analysis, and coherence testing.
• Guide the development of automated optical test systems and integrated data acquisition solutions.
• Ensure compliance with IEC, TIA/EIA, IEEE, and customer-specific standards.
• Support Design for Quality (DFQ) initiatives and manufacturing readiness reviews.
What your background should look like

• Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or a related technical discipline.
  • 10+ years of experience in optical quality engineering, reliability engineering, photonics, fiber optics, or advanced optical metrology.
  • Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams, technical programs, or quality organizations.
  • Strong background in optical product qualification, quality systems, and reliability methodologies.
  • Experience working within development and manufacturing environments supporting advanced technology products.
  Technical Expertise
  Optical Metrology
  • Expert knowledge of optical spectrum analyzers (OSA), OTDR/OFDR systems, interferometers, polarimeters, imaging systems, and related instrumentation.
  • Experience with beam profilers, optical power meters, insertion loss test systems, and return loss measurement equipment.
  • Deep understanding of optical alignment, coupling efficiency optimization, and precision measurement techniques.
  Fiber Attachment Unit (FAU) Characterization
  • Expertise in FAU assembly performance validation, optical coupling requirements, and qualification methodologies.
  • Experience evaluating backscatter performance, reflectance characteristics, and OFDR trace analysis.
  Reliability & Quality Engineering
  • Strong knowledge of reliability modeling, accelerated life testing, Weibull analysis, and environmental qualification testing.
  • Experience implementing SPC, MSA, Gauge R&R, process capability studies, and statistical quality systems.
  • Proficiency with quality and statistical analysis tools such as Minitab, JMP, R, or equivalent platforms.
  Manufacturing Quality
  • Understanding of optical manufacturing processes, process control methodologies, yield improvement, and supplier quality management.
  • Experience implementing in-line monitoring systems and production quality controls.
  Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or a related field.
  • ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Six Sigma Black Belt, or similar quality certification.
  • Experience supporting AI infrastructure, optical networking, telecommunications, or data center markets.
  • Knowledge of automated optical inspection and machine vision systems.
  • Experience with new product introduction (NPI), product qualification, and manufacturing scale-up activities.
  • Familiarity with ISO 9001, IATF 16949, and reliability management systems.
• #TANARJ #LI-ONSITE

Competencies
SET : Strategy, Execution, Talent (for managers)
ABOUT TE CONNECTIVITY
TE Connectivity plc (NYSE: TEL) is a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future. As a trusted innovation partner, our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions enable the distribution of power, signal and data to advance next-generation transportation, energy networks, automated factories, data centers enabling artificial intelligence, and more.
Our more than 90,000 employees, including 10,000 engineers, work alongside customers in approximately 130 countries. In a world that is racing ahead, TE ensures that EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS. Learn more at www.te.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
COMPENSATION
• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience: $155,00 - $232,500 (subject to change dependent on physical location)
• Posted salary ranges are made in good faith. TE Connectivity reserves the right to adjust ranges depending on the experience/qualification of the selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.
• Total Compensation = Base Salary + Incentive(s) + Benefits
BENEFITS
• A comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, 401(k), disability, life insurance, employee stock purchase plan, paid time off and voluntary benefits.
EOE, Including Disability/Vets
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING RECRUITMENT FRAUD
TE Connectivity has become aware of fraudulent recruitment activities being conducted by individuals or organizations falsely claiming to represent TE Connectivity. Please be advised that TE Connectivity never requests payment or fees from job applicants at any stage of the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings are posted exclusively on our official careers website at te.com/careers, and all email communications from our recruitment team will come only from actual email addresses ending in @te.com. If you receive any suspicious communications, we strongly advise you not to engage or provide any personal information, and to report the incident to your local authorities.
Job Locations:
Posting City: Rochester
Job Country: United States
Travel Required: Less than 10%
Requisition ID: 149371
Workplace Type: Onsite
External Careers Page: Engineering & Technology