Senior Systems Test Engineer

About us
Salience Labs is developing optical circuit switching technology for AI infrastructure, aimed at reducing latency and cost in data centre networks. As we move towards deployment, you’ll have real ownership of your area and work alongside a highly technical team on a hard problem in AI infrastructure. Job Overview This role sits at the centre of how Salience Labs takes our photonic switching technology from prototype to reliable deployment in AI networks.

You will define, build and operate our system test capability, covering complex opto-electronic setups, automation and structured test execution. We need someone with a clear, organised and outcome driven approach, able to design test strategies from first principles and communicate progress with data led clarity. Success requires strong technical depth, solid operational discipline and the ability to work quickly and precisely in a lab environment.

You will shape how we validate our switching hardware, ensure test readiness at each milestone and remove bottlenecks through smart automation and process improvement. As a senior member of the team, you will set the technical standard for test and guide others in meeting it.

What you’ll be doing Define and own the system level test strategy for Salience’s photonic switching platform, covering test planning, setup definition, execution and reporting
Build and maintain complex optical and electronic measurement setups with strong attention to stability, repeatability and safety
Automate test sequences and data capture pipelines to minimise manual overhead and accelerate learning cycles
Develop and communicate a clear view of test readiness, critical paths and parallelisable work
Create plans, timelines and prioritisation frameworks that reflect real engineering constraints
Optimise existing test processes by identifying wasted effort, anticipating failure modes and preparing setups ahead of hardware arrivals
Collaborate closely with Photonics, Electronics, Firmware and Product teams to ensure test outputs align with system level performance requirements for high bandwidth, low latency switching
Drive a culture of disciplined execution with a clear understanding of the commercial end goal
Mentor and guide other engineers in test practice, automation and lab discipline
Shape and lead the function with competence, judgement and reliability, even before any formal line management is introduced
What we’re looking for Typically 5+ years of experience working hands on in lab environments involving complex optical, photonic or mixed signal electronic setups
Demonstrable ability to build, debug and optimise measurement systems, and automate test workflows, with experience owning test capability end to end
Comfortable operating in environments where test coverage, data quality and repeatability underpin every decision
Ability to plan rigorously, track progress, think in parallel and flag risks early
A background that may include photonics, optics, MEMS, mixed signal electronics, semiconductor test or high-speed transceiver validation
Experience with automated test frameworks, scripting for test automation and data analysis tooling
Fluency in Python (NumPy) and familiarity with VISA/SCPI protocols is essential
Strong organisational capability, able to set expectations, anticipate bottlenecks and maintain momentum across multiple teams
Experience mentoring or technically guiding other engineers
Based in the UK or willing to relocate, with consistent presence required in the Oxford lab
Even better if you Have experience scaling system test infrastructure for high performance communication or switching hardware
Are comfortable developing automated analysis pipelines to support data led decision making
Have previously led or mentored test or validation teams
Bring understanding of reliability, environmental or system level testing for optical or networking hardware
Possess a practical commercial mindset, able to balance speed, risk and technical depth
If you are looking for an opportunity to shape the core test capability of a deep tech company redefining photonic switching for AI infrastructure, we would be glad to speak with you.

This role suits someone who enjoys turning complex hardware behaviour into clear signals, structured plans and meaningful progress.