Company Overview

OpenLight Photonics is an innovative start-up at the forefront of photonic integration, commercializing our cutting-edge heterogeneously integrated photonic platform. Join us in an exciting start-up environment with ample opportunities for growth and professional development.

Position Summary

We are seeking a candidate to join the OpenLight Reliability team as a key contributor with strong cross-functional impact. This role focuses on enhancing the reliability and quality of OpenLight’s heterogeneous silicon-IIIV photonics platform and products. The individual will be part of a team responsible for all aspects of reliability and qualification in support of high-volume manufacturing (HVM). They will collaborate closely with external foundry partners as well as OpenLight’s design, fabrication process, test, and commercial teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement reliability and qualification stress tests - including burn in, mechanical, thermal, humidity, and accelerated aging evaluations - for OpenLight’s silicon photonics components, such as lasers, optical amplifiers, modulators and detectors, and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). Prepare and maintain detailed qualification plans.
• Analyze stress data, document findings, and produce comprehensive reliability and qualification reports for both inte rnal stakeholders and external customers.
• Conduct root cause analysis on degraded or failed samples using techniques such as EL, SEM/TEM and EDX to determine failure mechanisms. Deliver thorough failure analysis reports and presentations.
• Build reliability models, calculate FIT rates, and predict product lifetimes under real-world operating conditions by evaluating stress data and degradation trends.
• Collaborate with design, fabrication process, and other cross-functional teams to integrate design for reliability (DfR) practices into new product development cycles

Skills and Preferred Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Optics, Material Science, Physics or related discipline; 5+ years of relevant industry experience preferred
• Proficiency in data analysis and test automation with tools such as JMP, Minitab, PyVISA, MATLAB, Excel, or similar platforms
• Experience designing and conducting reliability experiments, either in industry or academia
• Solid understanding of optoelectronics and semiconductor device physics through graduate coursework or practical experience; familiarity with III-V or silicon photonics wafers processing is a plus
• Foundational knowledge of probability and statistics, gained academically or through hands-on application
• Experience with advanced failure analysis techniques (e.g. FIB, SEM/TEM, EDX, etc.) is advantageous
• Familiarity with qualification standards such as JEDEC, GR-468, or related frameworks is a plus
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a self-driven, independent mindset
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, along with effective interpersonal and presentation capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple projects concurrently