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QA Hardware Engineer 3 - Physical Layer (L0/L1)

VIAVI Solutions Eningen unter Achalm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

onsitefull-time
Posted Jul 8, 2026

**Role & seniority: ** Engineering role (hardware/firmware validation & test automation); not explicitly stated as seniority.

**Location & work type: ** #LI-onsite (onsite at VIAVI); location not specified in text.

**Stack/tools (tools & technologies): **

  • Ethernet L1 PHY validation; IEEE 802.3; 100GE+

  • Protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, BERT testers

  • Optical + copper interfaces: OSFP, QSFP-DD

  • Managed Ethernet transceivers; PCS/FEC (advantage)

  • Python scripting for automation/CI integration

  • CI/CD automation for regression of PHY test suites

  • Issue tracking/documentation

**Top 3 responsibilities: **

  • Validate Ethernet PHY interface behavior (link negotiation, signal integrity, link transitions, counters; optical transceiver operation).

  • Reproduce and root-cause hardware/firmware defects using PHY-level systematic test isolation.

  • Build/maintain lab test setups and analyze failures; document defects with reproducible steps and collaborate on triage/quality improvements.

**Must-have skills: **

  • Degree in electrical engineering / CS (or equivalent).

  • Hands-on H/W bring-up and troubleshooting of high-speed interconnects.

  • Working knowledge of Ethernet L1 (and understanding of Ethernet L2 MAC).

  • Experience with test/measurement tools (protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, BERT).

  • Python for automation; strong documentation and defect reporting.

  • Fluent **Englis

Full Description

Summary: VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) has a 100+ year history of technical innovations that have evolved to keep pace and address our customers’ most pressing business issues. We make equipment, software, and systems that help to plan, deploy, certify, monitor, and optimize all kinds of networks - like those for mobile phones, service providers, large businesses and data centers. VIAVI is also a leader in high performance thin film optical coatings and engineered diffusers, providing light management solutions to anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, automotive, defense and instrumentation markets. We are the people behind the products that help keep the world connected – at home, school, work, at play, and everywhere in between. VIAVI employees are fierce about supporting customer success and we welcome people who bring their best every day to the company - to question, to collaborate and to push for solutions that will delight our customers. Duties & Responsibilities: Validate Ethernet physical layer hardware interface behavior: link negotiation, signal integrity, link state transitions and counters, optical transceiver operation. Reproduce and root-cause hardware and firmware defects through systematic test isolation at the PHY level. Build and maintain lab test setups including optical and copper interfaces (OSFP, QSFP-DD). Analyze test failures, capture logs, and document defects with clear reproduction steps in the issue tracker. Collaborate closely with hardware, software and application dev teams to triage failures and drive quality improvements. Define and review long-term, performance, and scalability test scenarios for physical-layer components. Derive test requirements from hardware validation reports and functional test specifications. Contribute to CI/CD test integration for automated regression coverage of physical-layer test suites. Pre-Requisites / Skills / Experience Requirements: Engineering Profile: Degree in electrical engineering, computer science or equivalent work experience. Practical experience of H/W bring-up and troubleshooting of high-speed hardware interconnects. Familiarity with test and measurement tools: protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, BERT testers. Experience and understanding of the Ethernet L1 Physical layer. Understanding of the Ethernet L2 Data Link/MAC layer. Experience with managed Ethernet transceivers. Experience with Python scripting for API automation. Fluent English & German language skills. Deep knowledge of IEEE802.3, high-speed Ethernet (100GE+) and transceivers, PCS/FEC constitutes an advantage. #LI-onsite VIAVI empowers Service Providers and IT organizations to manage the network lifecycle for complex 5G and Fiber networks with intuitive instruments, systems and technologies; and our expertise in light management and optical coatings help protect the world's bank notes from counterfeiters, enhance the colors you see, and enable advanced technology such as 3D sensing. We are a team of thought leaders who have the freedom to support and innovate and look for new effective and efficient solutions for our customers.

Ethernet Physical LayerHardware ValidationPython ScriptingSignal IntegrityProtocol AnalyzersOscilloscopesBERT TestersIEEE 802.3CI/CDRoot Cause AnalysisOptical TransceiversHigh-Speed InterconnectsL2 Data Link/MAC LayerPCS/FECHardware Bring-upAPI Automationmulti-location

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