Principal Quality Engineer at Astera Labs

<div class="content-intro"><p><span data-teams="true">Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at <a id="menurhut" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" href="http://www.asteralabs.com/" target="_blank">www.asteralabs.com</a>.</span></p></div><p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Principal Quality Engineer</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Role Summary</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">As Principal Quality Engineer based in Aachen, you are the technical authority&nbsp;for&nbsp;quality across our optical product line and regional quality lead for European operations. You will bridge HQ (San Jose) and the Aachen manufacturing site, drive quality integration for in-house optical manufacturing, lead supplier quality for regional semiconductor and optical vendors, and support Asia-based RMA activities for in-region products.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Key Responsibilities</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Quality</span></strong>‑<strong><span data-contrast="auto">System Integration:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Lead ISO 9001 alignment between San Jose HQ,&nbsp;Aachen,&nbsp;and other regional locations to&nbsp;harmonize&nbsp;procedures, audit schedules, and corrective action processes across both semiconductor and optical product lines.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Process Development &amp; Implementation:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Design, document, and roll out new quality processes, procedures, and work instructions needed to support emerging&nbsp;photonics&nbsp;products and manufacturing capabilities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">In</span></strong>‑<strong><span data-contrast="auto">Process Inspection &amp; Controls:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Oversee in</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">process inspection activities for the in</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">house manufacturing operation, establishing SPC, go/no</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">go checkpoints, and real</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">time defect</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">tracking dashboards.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Supplier Quality&nbsp;(Optics):&nbsp;</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Provide technical support and quality assurance for optical</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">component and optical</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">coating suppliers; conduct supplier audits, and drive corrective</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">preventive actions (CAPA).</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Supplier Quality&nbsp;(Semiconductor):&nbsp;</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Serve as the regional point of contact for semiconductor suppliers, monitoring supplier performance,&nbsp;assisting with supplier audits,&nbsp;and leading issue resolution.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Product Quality:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Core Semiconductor Business –&nbsp;Lead technical investigation of field returns, warranty claims, and reliability failures for semiconductor and optical products; coordinate 8D root-cause analysis and interface with Field Application Engineers (FAEs).&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Cross</span></strong>‑<strong><span data-contrast="auto">Site Liaison:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Act as the primary conduit between the Aachen site, other European/EMEA sites, and the San</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Jose HQ for quality information exchange, escalation handling, and best</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">practice sharing.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Metrics &amp; Reporting:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;&nbsp;Define, track, and report key quality KPIs (PPM, DPMO, warranty cost, MTBF, supplier defect rate, etc.) to senior leadership across the BU and corporate HQ.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Quality Improvement:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Lead&nbsp;and demonstrate&nbsp;the application of advanced quality improvement techniques including&nbsp;Lean,&nbsp;Six</span>‑<span data-contrast="auto">Sigma,&nbsp;and&nbsp;other methods to&nbsp;reduce waste, improve yield, and enhance overall product reliability.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Education &amp; Experience</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <table data-tablestyle="MsoNormalTable" data-tablelook="1184"> <tbody> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Required</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Preferred</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">•&nbsp;Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related discipline</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Master's or PhD in Engineering</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• 10+ years in quality engineering with progression to senior/principal level</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• 15+ years with demonstrated leadership in multi-site organizations</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Minimum 5 years in semiconductor, photonics, or precision optics manufacturing</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Direct experience with optical module qualification (Telcordia GR-468)&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Technical Skills</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <table data-tablestyle="MsoNormalTable" data-tablelook="1184"> <tbody> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Required</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Preferred</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Expert-level ISO 9001 implementation and multi-site QMS integration</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Six Sigma Black Belt, ASQ CQE/CQM, or Lean certification</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Advanced statistical methods: SPC, DOE, MSA, FMEA (Design &amp; Process)</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Proficiency in Minitab, JMP, Python, or R for data analysis</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Supplier quality management including audits, scorecards, CAPA/SCAR</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Familiarity with JEDEC, IPC, Telcordia&nbsp;reliability standards&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Experience with optical metrology (interferometry, power meters, spectrometers, alignment systems)</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Industry 4.0 quality tools (AI-based defect&nbsp;detection, digital twin, automated optical inspection)</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Core Competencies</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <table data-tablestyle="MsoNormalTable" data-tablelook="1184"> <tbody> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Required</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Preferred</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">•&nbsp;</span><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Fluency in English and German</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;(written and spoken)</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Additional European language</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence without authority</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Experience managing quality engineers or cross-site teams</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Excellent technical communication to engineering and executive audiences</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Track record presenting to C-level stakeholders</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Comfort with ambiguity in fast-paced, high-growth environments</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Experience in startup or rapid-scale environments</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Willingness to travel (up to 20–25%, including Asia and North America)&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> <td data-celllook="0"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">• Existing relationships with European optical/semiconductor supply base</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span><strong>Compensation</strong></p> <p>Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits. Astera Labs is committed to fair and equitable pay practices.</p> <p><em>Astera Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class="content-conclusion"><p>We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.</p></div>