Automation Jobs in California
Automation jobs in California are concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Jose, where demand for automation engineers, controls specialists, and robotics integrators runs high across semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, and logistics. Major employers with deep California roots include Tesla, Northrop Grumman, and Applied Materials, all of which maintain large engineering workforces in the state. Roles are available from entry-level controls technicians to senior systems architects. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Optical Engineer, RTP, Test Automation and Optics NPI Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain Python scripts and test automation for qualification of optical transceivers and subsystems across EVT / DVT / PVT / characterization, using the team's existing test frameworks, instrument drivers, switch and host abstractions, and results pipelines
- Lead optics NPI programs end to end, working closely with optics vendors and ODMs from RFI / RFP through EVT / DVT / PVT to mass production ramp and sustaining
- Find, debug, and remediate optical hardware failure modes before certifying modules for mass production
- drive root-cause analysis and corrective action with vendors and ODMs
- Set up and operate NPI test stations in Meta lab regions: integrate modules, switches, and instruments, and debug at-scale, lights-out test execution
- Define test and measurement methodologies for high-speed optical technologies, and translate them into reusable Python scripts and automation
- Develop instrument automation and integration — BERT, OSA, optical power and wavelength meters, scopes — and CMIS register-level module control using SCPI / VISA / PyVISA and vendor APIs
- Ensure new optical platforms are supported by production and fleet-health tooling, and contribute to production-readiness documentation including production-readiness review documentation, best-known configuration guides, and design-for-test specifications
- Contribute to data integrity and analysis: build data capture, storage, and visualization so test and fleet results are trustworthy, queryable, and actionable
- Provide sustaining support after deployment — validate stability, security, and performance under production workloads, and refine understanding of failure characteristics at scale
- Contribute to engineering standards for test automation — code review, version control, documentation — and mentor engineers and technicians on Python scripting best practices and optical test methods
- Collaborate across Software, Thermal, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Signal Integrity, TPM, and Production Engineering teams to integrate optics into systems
- Interface with the industry, contribute to the RFI / RFP process, and shape product requirements, test plans, and data sheets
Minimum Qualifications:
- 8+ years in development roles for optical networking hardware, with experience taking new optical products from development through volume production
- Demonstrated experience writing Python scripts to automate test and measurement, including instrument control, data acquisition, and data analysis in a lab environment. Experience developing and maintaining reusable test automation in a team setting
- Hands-on experience with high-speed optical and electrical test, test automation, and lab instrumentation
- Experience leading optical transceiver NPI programs with vendors and/or ODMs through EVT, DVT, PVT to MP
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with data center network architecture, fleet health and sustaining concepts, and high-volume manufacturing test flows
- Willingness to work hands-on in the lab and to travel to vendor, ODM, and manufacturing sites as needed to support NPI builds
- Experience in creating or influencing product requirements documents, test plans, and data sheets
- Familiarity with additional languages where useful for test or analysis: C/C++ or MATLAB
- Track record of mentoring engineers, improving engineering standards and practices for test automation quality, and influencing without direct authority
- Experience using instrument-control libraries and APIs — SCPI / VISA, PyVISA, vendor APIs — to automate lab instruments including BERT, OSA, power meters, and scopes
- Deep knowledge of pluggable optical transceivers and form factors — QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP112 — and the CMIS management interface
- Experience with version control — Git or Mercurial — for managing test code in collaborative environments
- Experience driving NPI milestones — EVT / DVT / PVT / MP — production-readiness reviews, and transferring test scripts and methods to contract manufacturers and ODM factory lines, including dual-ODM strategies
- Experience writing Python scripts to automate tests and measurements, with familiarity in debugging, code reuse and shared libraries, and writing clean, maintainable automation
- Ability to set technical direction across a multi-quarter NPI (New Product Introduction) program, define scope and requirements when they are initially unclear, and align cross-functional and external partners, including vendors, ODMs, TPMs, and Production Engineering
- Experience with advanced modulation formats and direct-detect and coherent systems — OOK, PAM-4, QPSK, 8-QAM, 16-QAM — and related concepts
- Data handling for test results: schema design, database persistence, dashboards, and statistical analysis of measurement data using NumPy, pandas, SQL or similar tools
- Expertise in optical test and measurement: BER / FEC, pre-FEC and post-FEC analysis, eye diagrams, TDECQ, OSNR, optical spectrum, and link budgets
- Experience with optical integration including InP PICs, silicon-photonic PICs, PIC-IC integration, and 3D optical packaging technologies
About Meta:
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
$173,000/year to $245,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
See All 433+ Automation Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Automation JobsAutomation Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Automation Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple35

- Amazon11

- Tesla9

- SpaceX8

- Siemens8

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software39
- Electronics & Hardware26
- Manufacturing9
- Construction & Real Estate9
- Consulting & Professional Services8
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in automation jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a closely related field
- Hands-on experience with PLCs such as Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Mitsubishi platforms
- Proficiency with industrial communication protocols including Ethernet/IP, Modbus, and PROFINET
- Experience designing or maintaining SCADA and HMI systems in a production environment
- Familiarity with robotics programming, including collaborative and industrial robot arms
- Knowledge of California electrical codes and OSHA safety standards for automated systems
Automation Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a automation in California?
Most automation roles in California require a bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or mechatronics engineering, though some employers accept an associate's degree paired with significant hands-on PLC or controls experience. California does not issue a separate state license for automation engineers, but roles involving electrical work may require a California Electrical Contractor license or coordination with licensed electricians. Building a portfolio of controls projects and earning vendor certifications from Rockwell Automation or Siemens strengthens your candidacy considerably.
Which companies hire automations in California?
Employers hiring automations in California right now include Apple, Amazon, and Tesla, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of semiconductor fabs, aerospace primes, and large-scale distribution centers means demand for automation talent is spread well beyond Silicon Valley into the Inland Empire and Southern California corridor.
Which California cities have the most automation jobs?
San Francisco, San Diego, and Cupertino have the most automation openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its density of semiconductor manufacturers, tech hardware companies, and advanced robotics startups, while Los Angeles draws heavily from aerospace and defense primes, and San Diego adds demand through biotech and defense electronics employers headquartered in the region.
Are there remote automation jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. Automation work is fundamentally hands-on, requiring engineers to commission equipment, troubleshoot live systems, and validate installations on the floor. About 38% of automation openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those positions tend to cover design, simulation, or project management phases rather than commissioning or maintenance work.
How can I get hired as a automation in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a co-op or internship with a California manufacturer during your engineering program, since employers like Lam Research and Teradyne regularly bring on interns who convert to full-time roles. Community college programs at schools like De Anza College offer mechatronics certificates that California production employers recognize for technician-level openings. Moving laterally from a field service technician or maintenance electrician role is another common route, as those candidates already understand the hardware environments automation engineers work in.
Where can I find and apply to automation jobs in California?
You can find and apply to automation jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listings below.
See All 433+ Automation Jobs in California
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