Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer – Silicon Photonics Layout, GUI Development, & Test Automation

Location: Full-time on-site in Seaport, Boston

Overview

We are seeking a versatile Software Engineer with experience spanning silicon photonics scripted layout, Windows-based GUI application development, and strong hardware awareness for instrument control and lab automation. The ideal candidate has a background in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science, is fluent in both Unix/Linux and Windows environments, and enjoys working at the intersection of software, hardware, and photonic design automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain automated layout generation tools for silicon photonic devices using KLayout and Python.
• Implement and extend Windows-based GUI applications in C for design, visualization, and analysis workflows.
• Collaborate with photonics, electronics, and test engineers to integrate software tools into the full design and validation pipeline.
• Create and maintain APIs, data interfaces, and scripts to streamline design automation and verification processes.
• Support internal build systems, configuration management, and deployment on both Linux and Windows platforms.
• Participate in design reviews, propose improvements to workflow automation, and ensure high software reliability and maintainability.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• more than 3 years experience in industry
• Proficiency in Python for design automation and scripted layout (experience with KLayout strongly preferred).
• Proficiency in C , with experience in Windows GUI frameworks (e.g., MFC, Qt, or Win32).
• Comfortable developing in both Windows and Unix/Linux environments.
• Strong understanding of software development best practices (version control, testing, documentation).
• Ability to work closely with hardware and photonics engineers; understanding of physical design concepts and hardware constraints.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with silicon photonics, semiconductor layout, or EDA tool development is preferred
• Familiarity with scripting for CAD/EDA tools (e.g., Mentor, Cadence, Synopsys).
• Knowledge of hardware communication interfaces or instrument control (e.g., serial, GPIB, Ethernet).
• Exposure to optical simulation tools or photonics modeling workflows.
• Experience with cross-platform development and build systems.

Personal Attributes

• Strong problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
• Comfortable working in a multidisciplinary team bridging software, hardware, and optical design.
• Self-motivated and able to take ownership of complex technical challenges.