What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Silicon Photonics and Photonics Characterization Engineer position at The Photonics Group?
Staff Silicon Photonics Engineer
Lead silicon photonics design for AI acceleration platforms, focusing on grating couplers, waveguides, SOAs, and photodetectors for high-speed computing applications
Collaborate with foundries to develop manufacturable designs using PDKs, manage tape-outs, and ensure DFM/DFT evaluations for scalable production
Conduct optical simulations using industry-standard tools (Lumerical, Ansys, COMSOL) and perform experimental validation/characterization in lab environments
Drive cross-functional integration with optomechanical, electrical, and software teams to ensure seamless system-level photonic integration
Requires PhD in Photonics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with 8 years of industry experience in silicon photonics design and productization
Proven track record taking photonic integrated circuits from concept to commercial production with hands-on PDK experience and tape-out management
Lead technical initiatives including design reviews, optical test plans, IP development, and patent filings for novel silicon photonic designs
Preferred experience in optical communications, quantum/optical computing, or AR, with proficiency in Python/MATLAB for design automation
Staff Photonics Characterization Engineer
Develop experimental methodologies to characterize silicon photonics and free-space optical systems for AI compute accelerators featuring custom spatial light modulators
Design and execute optical experiments including fine alignment of free-space setups to demonstrate groundbreaking AI compute functionality and validate system capabilities
Conduct performance characterization of high-speed photonic systems using advanced lab equipment to measure and analyze system performance
Perform statistical signal processing and generate detailed technical reports documenting experimental results for technical teams and executive leadership
Requires PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or Optics with 3 years hands-on experience setting up and aligning free-space optical systems
Proven expertise with high-speed optical compute/networking equipment, advanced lab instrumentation, and signal integrity principles in photonic systems
Collaborate cross-functionally with theoreticians, physicists, and engineers to integrate experimental insights into system architecture and refine design iterations
Preferred background in silicon photonics, photonic computing, spatial light modulators, with scripting proficiency (Python/MATLAB) for automation and analysis
These positions can be done in TX or SF Bay Area