Principal Optical Reliability Engineer

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.

Role Overview 

Astera Labs is seeking an experienced and hands-on Principal Optical Reliability Engineer to drive reliability strategy across our cutting-edge portfolio of connectivity products, with a focus on silicon photonics and optical components. As AI infrastructure demands unprecedented bandwidth and performance, this role is critical to ensuring our products deliver exceptional reliability through end-of-life. 

You will lead reliability initiatives and serve as an internal consultant, defining and implementing methodologies across component, chiplet, photonic, and board-level products. This is a high-impact position where you'll partner closely with design, product/test engineering, quality, and manufacturing teams to embed reliability-aware principles. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Reliability Strategy & Methodology 
  • Develop and implement comprehensive design reliability methodologies for semiconductor circuits and optical systems, including pre-qualification, production release, ongoing reliability monitoring (ORM), and soft error evaluation 
  • Lead the application of advanced reliability modeling techniques to analyze trade-offs between performance and long-term product reliability 
  • Establish and refine usage models to guide design-phase reliability assessments and integrate learning from manufacturing and field return data in post-silicon validation 
• Failure Analysis & Root Cause 
  • Apply expert knowledge of semiconductor and optical reliability failure mechanisms, including Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), Latch-Up (LU), Soft Errors, Gate Oxide Time-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (GOX TDDB), Electromigration, Device Aging, laser degradation, and photodetector wear-out 
  • Utilize a hands-on approach to comprehend silicon, photonic, and package-level failure mechanisms, collaborating seamlessly with internal and external teams to drive root cause analysis and resolution 
  • Evaluate qualification results for new product introductions and drive continuous improvement in design-for-reliability tools, processes, and organizational knowledge 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Vendor Management 
  • Collaborate across design, product engineering, manufacturing, and reliability teams to capture and institutionalize best practices that improve product robustness and reduce DPPM 
  • Serve as a subject matter expert helping design engineers incorporate reliability-aware design principles early in development 
  • Work closely with vendors to review and interpret component specifications, reliability data, and qualification reports, including Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), failure-rate predictions, derating analysis, and stress test results 

Basic Qualifications 

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, or a related field 
• 8+ years of experience in semiconductor reliability, with direct experience in silicon photonics, optical components, or optoelectronic device reliability 
• Strong background in semiconductor physics, device modeling, and reliability verification techniques including statistical and probability techniques 
• Deep knowledge of advanced packaging technologies, including 2.5D, 3D, and chiplet architectures, as well as module and system board reliability 
• Working knowledge of electronic components/devices and their failure modes and mechanisms 
• Proven leadership in driving complex technical issues to closure across global, cross-functional teams 

Preferred Qualifications 

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Photonics 
• Experience with silicon photonics reliability, including laser aging, photodetector degradation, and fiber coupling reliability 
• Knowledge of high-performance compute and AI cloud infrastructure, as well as switch/network interfaces 
• Experience with PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) design, fabrication, and validation testing 
• Strong experience in product reliability in the context of mechanical, thermal, and electrical stresses for modules and board assemblies 
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate technical concepts clearly across all levels of the organization 
• Salary range is $185,000 to $230,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits. 

 Salary range is $185,000 to $230,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits. 

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.