Senior PIC Design Engineer

Jobtailor

Coquitlam

On-site

CAD 130,000 - 170,000

Full time

3 days ago

Be an early applicant

Application generator

Don’t send a generic resume — generate a resume and cover letter tailored to this exact role.

Get past ATS filters

Job summary

Jobtailor in Vancouver area seeks an experienced silicon photonics engineer to design and optimize PICs and devices, collaborating with cross-functional teams across research and manufacturing to push advanced photonic solutions from concept to implementation.

The role involves developing simulation flows, scripting for design automation, and mentoring peers while working closely with foundries and test teams. Strong Python/MATLAB and HFSS-based modeling are essential.

Qualifications

Master’s or PhD in electrical engineering, applied physics or other relevant discipline.
5+ years of experience with silicon photonics in an industrial setting.
Familiarity in designing photonic layouts with KLayout, Luceda, Cadence, Mentor Graphics, or equivalent.
Deep expertise in designing and optimizing silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and devices.
Experience in common programming languages like Python and MATLAB.
Proficiency in electromagnetic simulation using common tools, like Lumerical (FDTD, MODE, INTERCONNECT), Tidy3D.
Strong understanding of photonics, electronics, and electromagnetic compatibility.
Familiarity in optical bench experiments with tools like parameter analyzers, optical spectrum analyzers, laser sources, etc.
Excellent teamwork, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently while also being a great team member.
Exceptional candidates may have 7+ years of experience with silicon photonics in an industrial setting.
Experience designing high-performance optical switches and modulators.
Experience with inverse design optimization techniques, including adjoint method, particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithms (GA), and gradient ascent.
Experience designing high-performance single-photon detectors
Expertise in photonic integrated circuits on silicon nitride or hybrid material platforms
Experience with high-frequency chip design (RFIC/MMIC) and signal modeling in HFSS
Experience with thermal and mechanical modeling in COMSOL (FEM)
Experience modeling doping, diffusion, and electrical device performance in Sentaurus or Silvaco (TCAD)
Experience with PIC packaging, fabrication, and test
Knowledge of quantum optics
Knowledge of cryogenic PICs
Ability to work in the Greater Vancouver Area is a plus
Work permit sponsorship eligibility

Responsibilities

Design and optimize complex active and passive, large-scale silicon photonic integrated circuits at system and device levels
Generate software and scripts to meet design and analysis goals
Work with foundries and manufacturers
Conduct trade studies and analysis of alternatives to explore design options and trade-offs
Propose and analyze experiments to validate and refine simulation models
Present verbal and written findings to cross-functional teams
Translate analysis into recommendations for future development directions
Address integration issues with other chips and systems
Create simulation flows and documentation for collaboration with other PIC design engineers
Collaborate with photonic designers, nanofabrication engineers, test engineers, and physicists
Train, guide, and mentor team members on frameworks and best practices
Contribute to the company’s IP portfolio

Skills

Silicon Photonics

Electromagnetic Simulation

Python

MATLAB

Photonic Layout Design

Optical Bench Experiments

Thermal Modeling

Mechanical Modeling

HFSS

TCAD Sentaurus

PIC Packaging

Quantum Optics

Cryogenic PICs

Education

Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Applied Physics

Tools

KLayout

Luceda

Cadence

Mentor Graphics

Lumerical

Tidy3D

COMSOL

Sentaurus

Silvaco

Parameter Analyzers

Job description

Design and optimize complex active and passive, large-scale silicon photonic integrated circuits at system and device levels
Generate software and scripts to meet design and analysis goals
Work with foundries and manufacturers
Conduct trade studies and analysis of alternatives to explore design options and trade-offs
Propose and analyze experiments to validate and refine simulation models
Present verbal and written findings to cross-functional teams
Translate analysis into recommendations for future development directions
Address integration issues with other chips and systems
Create simulation flows and documentation for collaboration with other PIC design engineers
Collaborate with photonic designers, nanofabrication engineers, test engineers, and physicists
Train, guide, and mentor team members on frameworks and best practices
Contribute to the company’s IP portfolio

Requirements

Master’s or PhD degree in electrical engineering, applied physics or other relevant discipline
5+ years of experience with silicon photonics in an industrial setting
Familiarity in designing photonic layouts with KLayout, Luceda, Cadence, Mentor Graphics, or equivalent
Deep expertise in designing and optimizing silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and devices
Experience in common programming languages like Python and MATLAB
Proficiency in electromagnetic simulation using common tools, like Lumerical (FDTD, MODE, INTERCONNECT), Tidy3D
Strong understanding of photonics, electronics, and electromagnetic compatibility
Familiarity in optical bench experiments with tools like parameter analyzers, optical spectrum analyzers, laser sources, etc.
Excellent teamwork, interpersonal, and written communication skills
Ability to work independently while also being a great team member
Exceptional candidates may have 7+ years of experience with silicon photonics in an industrial setting
Experience designing high-performance optical switches and modulators
Experience with inverse design optimization techniques, including adjoint method, particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithms (GA), and gradient ascent
Experience designing high-performance single-photon detectors
Expertise in photonic integrated circuits on silicon nitride or hybrid material platforms
Experience with high-frequency chip design (RFIC/MMIC) and signal modeling in HFSS
Experience with thermal and mechanical modeling in COMSOL (FEM)
Experience modeling doping, diffusion, and electrical device performance in Sentaurus or Silvaco (TCAD)
Experience with PIC packaging, fabrication, and test
Knowledge of quantum optics
Knowledge of cryogenic PICs
Ability to work in the Greater Vancouver Area is a plus
Work permit sponsorship eligibility

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in designing and optimizing silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and devices, with proficiency in electromagnetic simulation and programming languages such as Python and MATLAB. Capable of collaborating with cross-functional teams and mentoring others while contributing to the development of innovative photonic solutions.

Highest-signal resume keywords