Jobs / United States / Astera Labs INC
Senior Principal Photonics Test Engineer
Astera Labs INC · 🇺🇸 San Jose, California, United States
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 63 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 10 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Astera Labs INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles26 certified filings for “Tech Lead Firmware Engineer” (Electronics Engineers, Except Computer) in CA: $157k–$216k, median $165k. Most were filed at wage level II (42%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
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Sponsor Radar — Astera Labs INC
The US Department of Labor certified 63 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 10 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Astera Labs INC →
About the role
Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com . • Job Summary We are seeking a highly technical and hands-on Senior Principal Photonics Test Engineer to serve as the technical authority for photonics test engineering across our product portfolio. This role will define end-to-end test architectures and drive advanced test development for silicon photonics devices, subsystems, and optical modules from early R&D through high-volume manufacturing. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in silicon photonics test methodologies, strong system-level thinking, and a proven ability to solve complex yield and performance challenges while building scalable, automated test solutions. Key Responsibilities • Define and own the end-to-end test architecture and test roadmap including wafer-level testing, package-level validation, optical engine and module characterization, as well as production and reliability testing. • Lead the development of advanced wafer probe and package-level test solutions for silicon photonics devices and subsystems. • Architect and implement automated test flows for engineering characterization, validation, and production. • Design, develop, and implement optical test plans and procedures for co-packaged optics modules, including silicon photonics engines, laser sources, photodetectors, and optical fiber connectors. • Debug and resolve yield issues and critical technical challenges, including electrical/optical performance failures, process & test induced variations. • Develop and drive the hardware and software roadmap for next-generation optical test systems. • Collaborate across cross-functional organizations such as silicon and photonics design teams, packaging, validation, reliability and qualification teams. • Define and implement test and yield analytics frameworks to accelerate yield learning and root cause identification. • Provide deep technical input in Design-for-Test (DfT) and product development reviews. • Define test specifications, acceptance criteria, and pass/fail limits based on IEEE, OIF, and internal standards Required Qualifications • MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Physics, Semiconductor Engineering, or a related field. • 10+ years of experience in optical testing, photonic device characterization, or optical transceiver module test. • Strong understanding of silicon photonics devices (modulators, photodetectors, multiplexers, grating couplers, edge couplers), optical probing and fiber coupling, Electro-Optical (EO) characterization, high-speed optical testing and BER measurement. • Proven experience leading development of wafer-level and package-level optical test systems. • Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or C/C++ for test automation • Knowledge of optical communication standards (IEEE 802.3, OIF-CEI, CMIS) • Familiarity with statistical analysis methods and data visualization tools. Strong experience debugging yield issues and complex system-level problems. • Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability