Contract Test Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Senior Principal Opto-Electronics Test Engineer. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands‑on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You’ll have the opportunity to work on cutting‑edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. This is a senior individual contributor role with broad technical scope — spanning device‑level characterization through system‑level validation — and direct influence over how opto‑electronic hardware is qualified and released across the organization.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience from the opto‑electronics industry — telecom, datacom, optical interconnect, or high‑power laser applications — and a track record of building test infrastructure that is rigorous, repeatable, and scalable.

We need sustained laboratory execution combined with systems thinking to design validation frameworks that serve both development and production environments. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

• Architect, develop, and maintain automated test systems for opto‑electronic device and subsystem characterization, including hardware control layers, data acquisition pipelines, and reporting frameworks.
• Define and implement standardized test methodologies across device, module, and system levels; establish traceability from test results to product specifications.
• Drive the selection, procurement, and qualification of test equipment — optical spectrum analyzers, power meters, lock‑in amplifiers, network analyzers, oscilloscopes, and custom instrumentation.
• Develop software‑controlled test sequences using Python, LabVIEW, or equivalent environments; integrate instrument control with data management and analysis workflows.
• Maintain calibration records and measurement uncertainty budgets for critical test assets.

• Execute and oversee L‑I‑V characterization, spectral analysis, beam quality (M², beam profile), and noise/linewidth measurements on laser sources and opto‑electronic components.
• Develop fiber and free‑space optical test benches for insertion loss, return loss, polarization‑dependent loss, and connector/fiber end‑face qualification.
• Characterize electro‑optic and acousto‑optic components under application‑relevant drive conditions; document performance against specification.
• Characterize magneto‑optic Faraday rotators and isolators under application‑relevant drive conditions; document performance against specification.
• Support LIDT (laser‑induced damage threshold) and fiber damage threshold testing protocols for high‑power optical systems.

• Lead system‑level validation campaigns for integrated opto‑electronic assemblies; define test plans, acceptance criteria, and failure mode coverage.
• Develop environmental and reliability test protocols — thermal cycling, vibration, humidity, burn‑in — in alignment with applicable industry standards.
• Execute and coordinate laser safety testing and classification in accordance with IEC 60825‑1; support regulatory submissions and compliance documentation.
• Collaborate with systems engineers and physicists to validate opto‑electronic system performance against AMO experimental requirements.
• Conduct root cause analysis on test failures and drive corrective action through verified resolution.

• Author and maintain test plans, procedures, characterization reports, and validation summaries to an engineering documentation standard.
• Serve as the internal technical authority on opto‑electronic test methodology; provide guidance to junior engineers and review test‑related work products.
• Interface with external vendors, contract test labs, and standards bodies as required.
• Contribute to design reviews with test coverage assessments and design‑for‑testability recommendations.

Please note: This position requires access to export‑controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

• B.S. or M.S. in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field; Ph.D. a plus but not required.
• 10+ years of hands‑on opto‑electronic test and characterization experience in an industrial or R&D environment — telecom, datacom, optical interconnect, or laser systems strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience designing and deploying automated test systems for opto‑electronic devices or modules.
• Strong proficiency with optical measurement instrumentation and the underlying measurement physics.
• Proficiency in Python, LabVIEW, or equivalent for instrument control and test automation; familiarity with data management and statistical analysis tools.
• Working knowledge of relevant standards: IEC 60825‑1, IEC 61300‑series (fiber optic interconnects), Telcordia/GR‑series reliability standards, or equivalent.
• Experience authoring formal test documentation: test plans, procedures, validation reports, and traceability matrices.
• Laser safety training (LSO certification or equivalent) preferred.

• You're creative, flexible, and eager to wear multiple hats.
• You're passionate about building systems from the ground up and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

This is a laboratory‑dominant role with substantial system engineering, design, and analysis responsibilities. The Staff Opto‑electronics Test Engineer will divide their time between hands‑on test execution and the development of the infrastructure, methodology, and documentation that makes that work repeatable and scalable. The position carries broad technical ownership and is expected to set the standard for opto‑electronic test practice across the organization.

The expected annual salary range for this position is $180,000-$260,000.

As a full‑time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
• 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
• 13 paid company holidays
• 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)

Monarch is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.