Manufacturing Test Engineer

ABOUT THE TEAM: OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops AI-native silicon and system-level solutions for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. Building on efforts like Jalapeño, the team is developing future generations of AI-native silicon and tightly integrated systems to power the next generation of frontier models. By co-designing chips, systems, tools, and methodologies, the team helps deliver faster, more efficient, and production-ready hardware for OpenAI’s supercomputing platform. About the Role We are seeking a Manufacturing Test Engineer to own and drive manufacturing test strategy, development, and execution for complex AI hardware systems. This role will define and implement test coverage across the product lifecycle, including ICT, functional circuit test, tray-level functional test, and system manufacturing test. You will work closely with hardware design engineering, diagnostic/software teams, manufacturing engineering, quality, and external system integrators and suppliers to translate product requirements into robust, scalable, and production-ready test solutions. You will also play a key role in reviewing test data, debugging failures, improving yield, and ensuring manufacturing test readiness from early development through volume production. IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL: - Define and drive the manufacturing test strategy for boards, trays, and system-level hardware assemblies across EVT, DVT, PVT, and production ramp. - Develop and manage test coverage for: - ICT / structural test - FCT / board-level functional test - Tray-level functional and integration test - System-level manufacturing and bring-up test - Partner closely with electrical engineering, system engineering, and diagnostic/software teams to define test requirements, review manufacturing test scripts and diagnostics, validate failure isolation needs, debug hooks, logging, and production screening strategies. - Translate engineering requirements into practical, scalable manufacturing test plans that balance coverage matrices; review and approve EVT/DVT/PVT and production test plans, pass/fail criteria and release gates while balancing coverage, test time, debug efficiency, cost, and production throughput. - Collaborate with system integrators, JDMs, contract manufacturers, and equipment vendors to implement and qualify test stations, fixtures, automation, software, equipment configurations, calibration plans, operator procedures, golden-unit correlation and production workflows. - Review and analyze manufacturing test results, test logs, diagnostic outputs, yield trends, failure paretos, false-failure rates, and station correlation data to identify gaps and drive corrective actions. - Lead or support debug of manufacturing test failures, working cross-functionally to determine whether issues stem from design, process, fixture, software, component, or operator variation. - Drive continuous improvement of test processes, including coverage expansion, cycle-time reduction, parallelization opportunities, power & cooling efficiency optimization, station reliability, data quality, and test escape prevention. - Ensure manufacturing test readiness for new product introduction, including test specifications, validation plans, GR&R/correlation studies, station acceptance, and production release criteria. - Help establish scalable standards and best practices for manufacturing test development across OpenAI’s rapidly growing hardware portfolio. YOU MIGHT THRIVE IN THIS ROLE IF YOU: - Have experience developing and deploying manufacturing test solutions for complex electronics, servers, networking systems, or high-performance compute hardware. - Understand board-level and system-level test methodologies, including ICT, boundary scan, functional test, burn-in, stress test, and production diagnostics. - Are comfortable working across both engineering development and factory execution, and can bridge the gap between design intent and production implementation. - Have strong hands-on debugging skills and can use test data, BMC/Host logs, diagnostic logs, power & thermal telemetry, schematics, and lab measurements to identify root causes efficiently and drive corrective action. - Communicate clearly with internal teams and external partners, especially when aligning on requirements, debugging ambiguous issues, and driving closure under schedule pressure. - Enjoy operating in a fast-moving, high-ownership environment with significant ambiguity and high expectations for execution. QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. - 5+ years of experience in manufacturing test engineering, product test, NPI test development, or related hardware test roles. - Experience with one or more of the following on servers and/or AI Accelerators: - ICT or structural board test - Board-level functional test development - Tray, chassis, or system-level manufacturing test - Production diagnostics and debug workflows - Test fixture, rack, or station development - Experience working with contract manufacturers, JDMs, system integrators, or test equipment vendors to deploy and sustain production test solutions. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience reviewing test data, yield, failure trends, and manufacturing metrics. - Ability to work cross-functionally with hardware engineering, diagnostics/software, manufacturing, quality, and supplier teams. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience with server and AI accelerators plus networking, power, or data center hardware systems. - Experience reviewing or developing manufacturing test automation, Python/Bash or similar scripts, Linux-based diagnostics, data pipelines, CI/release controls, and test software frameworks used in factory environments. - Experience supporting high-volume production ramps