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Senior Production Test Engineer (Photonics)
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Senior Production Test Engineer
About the Role
A technology manufacturer is expanding its Australian engineering team and is now hiring a Senior Production Test Engineer to design, develop, and own the optical test and measurement systems that characterise its products at production scale.
In this role, you will:
- Own the optical test and measurement system end to end, from concept and design through to an automated, repeatable setup running on the mass production line.
- Apply the appropriate measurement approach for each parameter, evaluating instrumentation like tunable lasers, polarisation control, power detection, switches, couplers, and splitters.
- Address challenges such as insertion loss measurement and understand how factors like PDR (Port-scale Distance Ratio) shape accuracy and repeatability.
This is not just an operational role—it requires an engineer who deeply understands instrumentation design and functionality, not just how to operate its components. You should be able to:
- Critically evaluate commercial test systems, pinpointing limitations and innovating solutions to enhance accuracy, repeatability, and system performance.
- Operate between source/detector-based photonic-electronic testing and more advanced interferometer-based methods, including mitigating environmental sensitivities like temperature, vibration, and air movement.
This is a full-time role based in Sydney, Australia. Due to the specific skillset required, the company is conducting a worldwide search, offering visa sponsorship and relocation support. They prioritise quality of fit over expedience, ensuring they find the ideal candidate over a competitive hiring process.
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Key Responsibilities
- Design & Implement a flexible, reliable optical test system for mass production, then automate its operation.
- Select and deploy optimal measurement approaches, balancing strengths, limitations, and the practical impact of the instrumentation used.
- Work hands-on with tunable lasers, polarisation control, power detection, switches, couplers, and splitters, including precise insertion loss measurement and assessing how factors such as PDR affect test repeatability.
- Disassemble and redevelop legacy or purchased optical test systems to address shortcomings, improving their capabilities where performance lags behind manufacturing demands.
- Apply and compare advanced testing methodologies, including: source- and detector-based photonic-electronic testing; interferometer-based methods; and handle environmental sensitivities like temperature, vibration, and airflow.
- Validate new optical test methods by specifying, executing, and analysing their performance for accuracy and repeatability.
- Assume ownership of routine calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting for all optical test equipment.
- Identify, develop, and monitor brightness production metrics (e.g., yield and failure mode tracking) on the pilot line.
- Assist in transferring production-level optical test processes to the company’s overseas manufacturing operations post-development.
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Requirements
- Degree in engineering or physics, with a deep, hands-on understanding of optical test and measurement systems.
- 5+ years of experience in the optical field, preferably within a high-tech manufacturing environment.
- Instrumentation expertise— comprehend how equipment is designed, engineered, and operates, not solely how to operate it (bridging design and practical functionality).
- Strong technical skills combined with clear written and verbal communication.
- Ability to adapt to fast-paced pressures, take initiative, and drive measurable outcomes.
- —Desirable Bonus Qualifications—
- Background experience in application/development engineering for measurement vendors (e.g., EXFO, VIAVI).
- Direct experience designing optical test systems for opto-electronic devices.
- SPC or advanced data analytics software familiarity.
- Demonstrated ability to quickly master new challenges, take ownership, and thrive in a fast-paced engineering landscape.
For more details, please contact: harold@profoundpeople.com.au
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