Case Study – Finisar, October 2025
Scaling Technical Capability for a Global Optical Communications Leader
Client Snapshot
Finisar, now part of Coherent, is a world-leading manufacturer of optical communication components across telecom, datacom, sensing, aerospace and semiconductor markets. Since 2005, ProFound People has support their engineering and manufacturing expansion across multiple product lines.
The Challenge
Finisar operated in a highly specialised domain where the talent pool for photonics, optics, laser engineering, semiconductor packaging, and advanced manufacturing is extremely limited. Securing experienced engineers at scale while maintaining strict technical and quality standards was a constant challenge in a competitive global market.
Our Approach
We partnered closely with Finisar’s technical leaders and HR team to build a long-term, repeatable recruitment strategy tailored to optical communications roles. This included proactive pipelining of niche engineering talent, market mapping of photonics and semiconductor specialists, and targeted outreach campaigns across Australia and Asia. Deep technical screening across optics, electronics, firmware, test, process, and high-precision manufacturing disciplines ensured only strong matches progressed. By maintaining an ongoing presence in specialist talent communities, we created a sustainable flow of qualified engineers aligned to Finisar’s evolving roadmap.
The Results
Between 2005 and the acquisition by Coherent, we successfully delivered 97 hires across engineering, R&D, test, process, reliability, manufacturing, and leadership roles. This long-term partnership strengthened Finisar’s internal capability, reduced hiring time, and supported continuous product development and manufacturing scale-up.
