Senior Software Engineer, Test and Automation

Senior Station Software Engineer, Test & Automation

About the Company

Thrively is partnering with a cutting-edge hardware startup developing a breakthrough
MEMS-based silicon photonics optical switching technology
designed for next-generation AI and HPC data centers. The company's chip-scale optical switch platform delivers ultra-low power consumption, high radix, and unprecedented scalability, addressing critical networking bottlenecks in modern GPU fabrics. As the team transitions from R&D prototypes to production-ready systems, they are building out the software and test infrastructure required to validate complex optical, electrical, and mechanical subsystems at scale.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced
Station Software Engineer
to design, implement, and maintain the software stack powering the company's product validation and qualification stations. These stations are essential to testing MEMS, silicon photonics, and integrated hardware systems from prototype through pilot production.

This is a deeply cross-functional role interfacing with hardware, optics, MEMS, firmware, and systems validation teams. You will own the station-level control layer, instrument drivers, automation frameworks, and data pipelines that enable high-throughput, repeatable, and reliable characterization.

Reporting to the Head of Product Validation Engineering, you will play a critical role in scaling the company's test capability from early benchtop experiments to full production-aligned systems.

Core Responsibilities

1. Station Control & Software Architecture

• Develop and maintain control software for optical, electrical, and MEMS test platforms (Python, C++, LabVIEW, or similar).
• Implement instrument drivers for lasers, detectors, motion controllers, FPGA boards, MEMS control electronics, and other hardware.
• Own data acquisition pipelines—from sensor readout → structured results → logging/database.

2. Test Frameworks & Automation

• Design modular, reusable test frameworks to support rapid test case development across validation and reliability workflows.
• Automate repetitive validation tasks to reduce test time and improve test coverage.
• Develop scripting interfaces or UIs to enable engineers to configure and run experiments confidently.

3. Debug, Analysis & Failure Investigation

• Support failure analysis by instrumenting stations for deeper diagnostics and enhanced logging.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate station requirements into robust implementations.
• Scale systems from exploratory "bench rigs" to consistent, documented lab-wide platforms.

4. Software Quality & Documentation

• Ensure software quality through modular design, documentation, and Git-based version control.
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation (software flows, SOPs, work instructions).

Ideal Background

• BS/MS in
  Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Mechatronics
  , or related field.
• 5–7+ years
  developing software for lab equipment, automated test systems, semiconductor/optics validation, or hardware-in-the-loop environments.
• Strong experience writing
  Python and/or C++
  for instrument control and automation.
• Familiarity with automation frameworks (pytest, PyVISA, LabVIEW, etc.).
• Hands-on experience with optical equipment, motion stages, FPGA/ASIC test boards, or MEMS/electromechanical devices.
• Experience building structured logging, data visualization tools, or configuration workflows.
• Excellent communication skills for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

• Exposure to silicon photonics, MEMS validation, or semiconductor device test.
• Understanding of data structuring for reliability tracking and parametric drift analysis.
• Experience scaling lab setups into pilot-line or production-line test environments.
• Familiarity with Docker, CI/CD pipelines, remote deployment, or scaling lab code infrastructure.

What Makes This Role Unique & Exciting

• You will define the
  software foundation
  for validating a category-defining optical hardware platform.
• Your test stations determine how rapidly the company identifies issues, characterizes performance, and proves yield stability.
• You'll collaborate directly with top engineers across photonics, MEMS, firmware, systems validation, and packaging.
• The performance and scalability of your station infrastructure will directly influence the company's competitiveness in the AI interconnect market.