Leading Photonics and Semiconductor Company
Location Sunnyvale, California
Sector Semiconductors
Type Permanent
Starts Q3 2026
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Job description
System Validation Engineer – Leading Photonics and Semiconductor Company
The client
Our client is an innovative technology company specializing in advanced sensing, photonics, and semiconductor technologies. The company develops next-generation perception systems by combining custom silicon, optical sensors, and sophisticated software solutions for applications in robotics, mobility, and industrial automation.
With a strong focus on hardware innovation, the company offers engineers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies in a fast-paced, collaborative, and highly technical environment.
The role
We are seeking a hands-on System Validation Engineer to support system-level bring-up, debugging, and validation of complex electro-optical hardware incorporating mixed-signal ASICs, photonic modules, DSP chips, and power management ICs.
This role is ideal for an engineer with strong analog electronics knowledge, extensive laboratory experience, and the ability to systematically troubleshoot hardware issues at the component, PCB, and system levels.
The position offers opportunities for technical ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and potential progression into a module leadership role.
You will:
• Lead PCB and system-level bringup, first power-on through functional validation
• Isolate failures in a complex system of mixed-signal ASICs, photonics, DSP chips, and power management ICs, localizing each issue to a specific component or subsystem
• Debug hardware/firmware interactions and analog circuit behavior using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers
• Perform signal integrity and power integrity measurements; localize sources of noise and cross-talk
• Drive failure analysis on prototype and production units; turn findings into corrective actions
• Validate chip-to-board communication (I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO)
• Build test plans with clear pass/fail criteria and Python automation for lab and production testing
• Support offshore manufacturing partners on assembly validation, calibration, and production test
• Board-level work with SiP or ASIC platforms
• Experience with embedded microcontrollers, SoCs, and FPGAs
• Reliability testing (thermal cycling, HALT, HASS); taking products into mass production
Your background
• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering from a top research university
• ~5 years of hands-on lab experience in PCB bringup, system validation, signal/power integrity, or failure analysis
• Solid analog circuit knowledge – bias networks, LDOs, PLLs, ADCs/DACs, mixed-signal interfaces – and the instincts to debug them at the bench
• Opto-electronic debug experience: optical power meters, photodetectors, spectrum analyzers
• Python for test automation and data analysis
• Fluent reading schematics, layout files, and datasheets
Location Sunnyvale, California Start date Q3 2026 At PER International we believe the best engineering teams are also the most diverse. We welcome applications from candidates of every background, and assure every applicant that they will be assessed on the strength of their work and ambition — without regard to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
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