Applications Engineering Manager- Optical (LitePoint; San Jose, CA)

Teradyne · San Jose, CA

Apply on Teradyne ↗

Level: Manager
Team: Manufacturing
Base pay: $172k–$275k
Degree: Preferred
Experience asked: 8+ years
Industry: Industrial
Posted: Recently

The role in 30 seconds

A management manufacturing role at Teradyne (industrial) in San Jose, CA. Applications & Product Support.

They ask for: 8+ years · degree preferred
Tools it names: Root cause, Automation
Base pay: $172k–$275k

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $111k–$173k. This one lists $172k–$275k.

Median of the low and high ends of 165 live postings that list pay, out of 436 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 435 other live manufacturing postings in California.

Base pay: About 67% above similar roles
Experience asked: More than usual (8+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

Tooling 50%
New product launch 44%
✓ Root cause 37%
✓ Automation 35%
Machining 27%
CATIA / NX 26%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for Python, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 8+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Teradyne
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Teradyne in San Jose

4 other open roles at this site.

NPI Manufacturing Engineer (MEMORY TEST DIVISION, San Jose, CA) · Manufacturing
Hardware Engineering Manager (MEMORY TEST DIVISION, San Jose, CA) · Manufacturing · Manager
Mechanical Engineering Manager (Memory Test, San Jose, CA) · Reliability · Manager
FPGA Engineering Manager (MTD, San Jose, CA) · Manufacturing · Manager

Full description from TeradyneAs posted on their careers site.Show

LitePoint: Driving Wireless Innovation

LitePoint is a global leader in wireless test solutions, partnering with top wireless device manufacturers to ensure their products meet the high standards of today's tech-savvy consumers. Our out-of-the-box solutions are designed to test the world's most widely used wireless chipsets.

We collaborate with industry leaders in smartphones, tablets, PCs, wireless access points, and chipsets. Additionally, we are at the forefront of testing the rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with a global presence, LitePoint is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teradyne (NYSE: TER), a leading provider of automation equipment for testing and industrial applications.

Our Purpose

TERADYNE, where experience meets innovation and driving excellence in every connection. We are fueled by creativity and diversity of thought and in our workforce. Our employees are supported to innovate and learn something new every day.

We cultivate a culture of inclusion for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences enable us to be a better team – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation and delivers better business results.

Opportunity Overview

Our LitePoint team is seeking an Applications Engineering Manager to lead our photonics test applications effort in San Jose, CA. You will grow and manage a team of applications engineers and serve as the senior technical bridge between our photonics test products and the customers who depend on them—accountable for both your team's delivery (installation, calibration, troubleshooting, training, enablement) and the customer relationships that drive adoption and account growth. The position will work closely with the engineering and marketing organizations to guide product development as well and manage key customer design in activity.

Working in close partnership with regional applications and sales teams, you will ensure consistent support coverage and a steady flow of market information to R&D and product marketing. The applicant should have experience high-speed optical communications test—optical transceivers, silicon photonics, and optical links—using tools such as optical sampling scopes, BERTs, CDRs, optical spectrum analyzers, and optical power meters. This role suits an experienced applications engineer ready to lead: someone who can still go into depth in the lab, but whose primary leverage is developing the team, setting technical direction, and owning the regional customer relationship.

Team Leadership

•Manage, coach, and develop a team of applications engineers—goal-setting, performance management, workload balancing, and career growth.
•Set technical direction and best practices; ensure consistent, high-quality support across customers.
•Act as the escalation point for complex technical and customer situations.
•Drive customer design-ins and develop technical messaging for customer updates

Show full description ↓

Applications & Product Support

•Oversee troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and issue resolution across module and system levels.
•Ensure customers are effectively supported through configuration, calibration, and operation of photonics test equipment.
•Develop automated test solutions, libraries, and tools for chipset vendors, brand names, ODMs, and CMs.
•Partner with engineering and product marketing to drive corrective action and influence product improvements.

Customer & Regional Engagement

•Own senior-level customer relationships in the region, ensuring proactive communication, satisfaction, and growth.
•Coordinate with regional applications and sales teams on coverage, engagement plans, and priorities.
•Direct product demonstrations, training, and technical workshops.
•Capture field feedback and channel it for product roadmap development.

Documentation & Reporting

•Ensure the team maintains strong technical documentation, application notes, and training materials.
•Report to leadership on customer interactions, issue trends, resolution metrics, and product feedback.
•Represent LitePoint at trade shows, conferences, and industry events.

All About You

We seek individuals who share our passion and determination. Our commitment to customer success drives us to go the extra mile. If you’re ready to join us in this mission, take a closer look at the minimum criteria for the position.

•Bachelor's degree in Photonics, Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred, or equivalent experience).
•8+ years in optical R&D, design, testing, or applications engineering, including customer-facing work.
•Prior people-management experience, or demonstrated technical leadership (mentor, team lead, project lead) with readiness to formally manage a team.

Technical Skills

•Strong grasp of photonics testing principles, equipment, and measurement techniques.
•Deep understanding of high-speed Ethernet standards (IEEE 802.3bs/cd).
•Hands-on experience with optical test instruments: optical sampling scopes, CDR, BERT, optical spectrum analyzer, optical power meter.
•Structured troubleshooting from system down to component level.
•Proficiency in C/C++, Python, or similar for test automation.

Leadership & Communication

•Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop technical staff.
•Excellent communication skills, able to represent LitePoint to senior customer stakeholders.
•Track record of building lasting customer relationships in a technical environment.
•Effective coordination across distributed regional teams.

Other

•Ability to manage multiple priorities, engineers, and customers concurrently.
•Willingness to travel to customer sites, regional offices, and company events as needed.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.