Silicon Photonics Engineer

This is a hands-on engineering role based in the San Francisco Bay Area for a photonics specialist who wants their work shipping in production AI hardware, not sitting in a research paper. You’ll design, simulate, characterise and bring up silicon photonic devices and circuits for co-packaged optical engines used in high-bandwidth data centre networking. Working alongside packaging, electrical, laser and systems teams, you’ll help turn photonic designs into high-volume products that directly shape how the world’s largest AI systems are built., * Design and simulate silicon photonic components including modulators, photodetectors, waveguides and couplers

• Develop photonic integrated circuits for co-packaged optics and high-speed optical interconnect
• Run optical and electro-optical characterisation of devices and PICs at wafer and die level
• Work with foundry partners on PDKs, process variation and tape-out readiness
• Partner with packaging teams on fiber attach, laser integration and optical coupling
• Collaborate with electrical, SerDes and systems teams on link budgets and performance targets
• Analyse test data to drive design iterations, yield improvements and production readiness
• Contribute to architecture decisions for next-generation optical engines

• 5+ years working in silicon photonics or integrated photonics in industry
• Hands-on experience designing PIC components such as ring or Mach-Zehnder modulators, germanium photodetectors, and grating or edge couplers
• Proficiency with photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical, FDTD or eigenmode solvers
• Experience taking designs through tape-out with a silicon photonics foundry
• Lab experience with optical test equipment and high-speed characterisation
• Understanding of high-speed optical links, PAM4 signalling and link budgets
• Strong data analysis skills using Python or MATLAB
• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics or a related field, * Experience with co-packaged optics or optical I/O
• Experience with 200G per lane or higher data rates
• Knowledge of laser integration or III-V heterogeneous integration
• Exposure to thin-film lithium niobate or silicon nitride platforms