Photonics Lead Engineer

Overview

As Lead Photonics Engineer you will act as the technical authority for PIC development, guiding architecture, design, fabrication engagement, packaging strategy, and device characterisation. You will collaborate with internal teams and external partners to develop high-performance photonic devices and shape the company’s photonics roadmap. You’ll work across research concepts to manufacturable solutions, tackling end-to-end challenges in a fast-moving startup environment. This role offers the opportunity to influence technology direction and deliver scalable photonic systems.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical authority across PIC development (architecture, design, fabrication engagement, packaging, characterisation)
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to deliver high-performance photonic devices
• Shape and drive the company’s photonics roadmap
• Guide end-to-end development from concept to manufacturable solutions
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship in a collaborative startup setting

Key requirements

• Deep expertise in PIC technologies across design, fabrication, packaging, and testing
• Strong knowledge of photonic design and simulation tools (Lumerical, IPKISS, Nazca, GDSFactory or equivalents)
• Extensive understanding of foundry processes, PDKs, and tape-out workflows; experience with external fabrication partners
• Experience with optical and electrical integration and packaging strategies for photonic devices
• Experience guiding device characterisation, measurement techniques, and performance validation
• End-to-end development knowledge from concept to manufacturable systems
• Strong communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills
• Significant industry or advanced research experience in integrated photonics or optical device development
• MSc or PhD in Photonics, Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering, Physics or related field

• leadership
• mentorship
• collaboration
• Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) design
• Photonic design and simulation tools (Lumerical, IPKISS, Nazca, GDSFactory)
• Foundry processes, PDKs, tape-out workflows

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