PIC Designer

Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Designer, Ph.D.

Location:

North Carolina, USA Employment Type:

Full-Time About the Role We are seeking an experienced Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Designer to join our growing engineering team. This position offers the opportunity to develop next-generation photonic technologies for high-speed optical communication, networking, and advanced photonics applications. As a PIC Designer, you will play a key role in designing, simulating, and optimizing integrated photonic devices and circuits, working closely with multidisciplinary teams to bring innovative products from concept to production. Responsibilities Design and develop photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for high-speed optical communication systems. Create and optimize photonic components including modulators, waveguides, couplers, filters, multiplexers, and photodetectors. Perform device and circuit simulations using industry-standard photonic design tools. Develop fabrication-ready layouts and support foundry tape-outs. Collaborate with RF, packaging, test, and systems engineers to ensure product performance and manufacturability. Analyze test results and drive design improvements. Support technology development, intellectual property generation, and product innovation. Required Qualifications Ph.D. in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field. Strong experience in Silicon Photonics and photonic integrated circuit design. Expertise in high-speed optical devices and optical communication systems. Solid understanding of RF and microwave engineering concepts, including: RF signal integrity S-parameters Impedance matching High-speed modulation Microwave photonics Experience with photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical, Ansys, Synopsys, Cadence, or equivalent. Programming experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Preferred Qualifications Experience with coherent optical communications. Familiarity with InP, Silicon Photonics, or heterogeneous integration platforms. Experience working with photonic foundries and advanced packaging technologies. Publications or patents in integrated photonics or optical communications. What We're Looking For The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with creativity and innovation. You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced R&D environment and passionate about solving complex challenges in photonics, RF, and high-speed system design. Why Join Us? Work on breakthrough photonic technologies. Collaborate with leading experts in photonics and communications. Competitive compensation and benefits. Opportunity to make a direct impact on next-generation optical networking solutions Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy. Nozipho Mbatha