Hardware Test Engineer Jobs
Hardware Test Engineer jobs are open from new-grad to senior and principal levels across consumer electronics, semiconductors, aerospace, and defense, with specializations in automated test equipment, RF and hardware-in-the-loop testing, and embedded systems validation. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world's first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passageâ„¢, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.
Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!
If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.
Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!
About this job
Are you ready to do meaningful internship work on technology that is changing how AI systems are built? The System Level Test team owns the final at-speed test of our silicon photonics products. These are cutting-edge high-speed optical interconnects built to move data between the processors that power AI datacenters, where copper is running out of reach and light is taking over. We build the test methods, the automation, and the data behind the pass vs fail decision. This summer's project is a hands-on optical characterization and correlation study aimed at improving how our products are tested in production. You will work on real optical hardware in the lab, build the measurement automation, generate the data, and write the recommendation that decides whether the approach moves forward. The result will directly influence how our next products are tested.
Responsibilities:
- Characterize a set of silicon photonics units on bench optical instrumentation, measuring output power, modulation amplitude, extinction ratio, and wavelength.
- Build automation to run measurements, control the lab setup, and log results in a consistent, reusable data format.
- Correlate unit measurements against a calibrated laboratory reference and quantify per-unit offsets and population spread.
- Measure unit stability across time, temperature, and repeated re-insertion, and analyze repeatability and drift.
- Deliver a feasibility and gap assessment with a clear recommendation, including the calibration and maintenance scheme needed for production deployment.
Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's program in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, or a related field.
- Coursework or project experience in at least one of: integrated circuit design, device or circuit characterization, or electrical or optical testing.
- Hands-on experience with standard lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, or optical power meters, from coursework, research, or a prior internship.
- Programming experience in Python or a similar language, including reading and plotting measurement data.
Preferred Qualifications
- Research, lab, or prior internship experience in photonics or semiconductors.
- Experience automating lab instruments (PyVISA, SCPI, or similar).
- Familiarity with basic statistics: mean, standard deviation, repeatability, and gauge or measurement uncertainty.
- Publications, projects, or open-source contributions related to the role.
Benefits
- Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Savings Matching Program
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Paid Family Leave
- Short Term & Long Term Disability
- Training & Development
- Commuter Benefits
- Flexible, hybrid workplace model
- Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)
Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
Export Control
Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.
Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world's first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passageâ„¢, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.
Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!
If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.
Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!
About this job
Are you ready to do meaningful internship work on technology that is changing how AI systems are built? The System Level Test team owns the final at-speed test of our silicon photonics products. These are cutting-edge high-speed optical interconnects built to move data between the processors that power AI datacenters, where copper is running out of reach and light is taking over. We build the test methods, the automation, and the data behind the pass vs fail decision. This summer's project is a hands-on optical characterization and correlation study aimed at improving how our products are tested in production. You will work on real optical hardware in the lab, build the measurement automation, generate the data, and write the recommendation that decides whether the approach moves forward. The result will directly influence how our next products are tested.
Responsibilities:
- Characterize a set of silicon photonics units on bench optical instrumentation, measuring output power, modulation amplitude, extinction ratio, and wavelength.
- Build automation to run measurements, control the lab setup, and log results in a consistent, reusable data format.
- Correlate unit measurements against a calibrated laboratory reference and quantify per-unit offsets and population spread.
- Measure unit stability across time, temperature, and repeated re-insertion, and analyze repeatability and drift.
- Deliver a feasibility and gap assessment with a clear recommendation, including the calibration and maintenance scheme needed for production deployment.
Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's program in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, or a related field.
- Coursework or project experience in at least one of: integrated circuit design, device or circuit characterization, or electrical or optical testing.
- Hands-on experience with standard lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, or optical power meters, from coursework, research, or a prior internship.
- Programming experience in Python or a similar language, including reading and plotting measurement data.
Preferred Qualifications
- Research, lab, or prior internship experience in photonics or semiconductors.
- Experience automating lab instruments (PyVISA, SCPI, or similar).
- Familiarity with basic statistics: mean, standard deviation, repeatability, and gauge or measurement uncertainty.
- Publications, projects, or open-source contributions related to the role.
Benefits
- Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Savings Matching Program
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Paid Family Leave
- Short Term & Long Term Disability
- Training & Development
- Commuter Benefits
- Flexible, hybrid workplace model
- Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)
Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
Export Control
Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.
Hardware Test Engineer Jobs by Experience Level
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Find Hardware Test Engineer JobsHardware Test Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Manufacturing
- Aerospace & Defense
- Distribution & Wholesale
- Education
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in hardware test engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related field
- Hands-on experience with automated test equipment and test script development in LabVIEW or Python
- Proficiency with bench instruments including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, power supplies, and DMMs
- Experience writing and executing test plans, test cases, and failure analysis reports
- Familiarity with PCB assembly, schematic reading, and hardware debug at the board level
- Knowledge of communication protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, or PCIe relevant to the product domain
Tips for Your Hardware Test Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume to ATE and instrumentation
List every automated test equipment platform you've programmed, such as NI TestStand, LabVIEW, or vendor-specific frameworks. Recruiters scan for these names first. Generic phrases like 'test automation experience' won't surface your resume the way specific tool names will.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists hardware test engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Highlight failure analysis and debug depth
Many hardware test engineer postings filter for candidates who can root-cause failures, not just log them. Call out specific debug methodologies you've used, such as boundary scan, JTAG, or oscilloscope-driven signal tracing, to separate yourself from candidates who only ran scripts.
Target postings by product life cycle stage
DVT and EVT roles need different skills than production test. Read job descriptions for which phase the team is in. If you've owned bring-up or first-article test, say so explicitly. Matching your background to their cycle stage accelerates the hiring decision.
Prepare a bench test scenario for interviews
Most hardware test engineer interviews include a live or hypothetical debug exercise. Practice walking through a systematic isolation process out loud, covering power, clocking, and signal integrity before moving to firmware. Interviewers evaluate your diagnostic logic, not just whether you reach the right answer.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
Hardware test roles vary widely in whether you write test plans, own DFT input, or only execute scripts. Clarify ownership boundaries during the offer stage. Roles with test plan authorship and design-for-test influence command stronger positions and are worth asking about explicitly before accepting.
Hardware Test Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most hardware test engineers?
SpaceX, Tesla, and Anduril are hiring the most hardware test engineers right now, with openings concentrated in California, Texas, and Washington, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Semiconductor, defense electronics, and consumer hardware firms consistently post the highest volume of these roles.
How many hardware test engineer jobs are remote?
About 43% of hardware test engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of most bench and production test work. Sub-disciplines with the highest remote share tend to be test software development, test architecture, and roles focused on scripting and automation rather than physical hardware bring-up.
How do you become a hardware test engineer?
Start with a degree in electrical or computer engineering, then build hands-on experience with bench instruments and test scripting during internships or academic projects. Learn at least one automated test framework such as LabVIEW or Python-based pytest. Entry-level roles often focus on executing test cases, which builds the debug fluency needed to advance into test plan authorship and system-level validation work.
Can you get a hardware test engineer job with little experience?
Yes, many companies hire hardware test engineers at the associate or junior level with limited professional experience. Build a portfolio that includes a personal hardware project with a documented test plan, evidence of debug work using real instruments, and familiarity with at least one scripting language. Co-op and internship experience in a test or validation role carries strong weight even with no full-time history.
What does the hardware test engineer interview process look like?
Most processes include an initial recruiter screen, a technical phone or video interview covering electronics fundamentals and your experience with specific tools, and then an onsite or virtual loop with the engineering team. Expect a practical debug or test-plan exercise where you work through a hardware failure scenario. Some companies add a take-home scripting task or a bench session using lab equipment.
Where can I find and apply to hardware test engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to hardware test engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States in one place. Search for roles that match your experience level and specialization, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 145+ Hardware Test Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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