Technologist R&D Engineer - Optical Design & Computational Photonics

Westerndigital; Deutschland; Vor Ort; EUR 120.000 - 190.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Westerndigital in Germany seeks a Principal R&D Engineer to lead advanced optical design and computational photonics for next‑generation semiconductor and photonic systems.

You will mentor engineers, build scalable simulation frameworks across optics, thermal, and electrical domains, and drive architecture‑level tradeoffs with close collaboration to validation teams.

Qualifikationen

• PhD or equivalent in Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 8+ years experience in optical design, computational photonics, or advanced device simulation.
• Strong background in optical simulation and numerical modeling.
• Experience with electromagnetic, optical, thermal, or multiphysics simulation tools.
• Strong programming capability in Python, MATLAB, or scientific computing environments.
• Ability to connect theoretical modeling with experimental validation and engineering constraints.
• Strong technical leadership and communication skills.

Aufgaben

• Lead advanced optical and multiphysics simulation activities for next-generation photonic systems.
• Develop inverse-design and optimization methodologies for complex optical structures.
• Build scalable computational frameworks spanning optics, thermal, and electrical domains.
• Drive architecture-level tradeoff studies and system-level optical design decisions.
• Collaborate closely with characterization teams to correlate simulations with experimental measurements.
• Support co-development between devices, packaging, thermal systems, and photonic integration platforms.
• Develop reduced-order analytical models alongside full numerical simulation workflows.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across optical design and simulation activities.
• Help define future AI-assisted computational photonics workflows and design infrastructure.

Kenntnisse

Python

MATLAB

Optical design

Computational photonics

Multiphysics simulation

Leadership

Communication

Ausbildung

PhD or equivalent in Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field

Tools

EM simulation tools

Thermal simulation tools

Multiphysics tools

Jobbeschreibung

The next era of intelligent systems will require entirely new approaches to photonic device design, optical architectures, simulation, and system integration. Solving these problems demands deep physical intuition, advanced computational modeling, and the ability to bridge simulation with experimental reality.

We are looking for a Principal R&D Engineer to lead advanced optical design and computational photonics development for next-generation semiconductor and photonic systems.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead advanced optical and multiphysics simulation activities for next-generation photonic systems.
• Develop inverse-design and optimization methodologies for complex optical structures.
• Build scalable computational frameworks spanning optics, thermal, and electrical domains.
• Drive architecture-level tradeoff studies and system-level optical design decisions.
• Collaborate closely with characterization teams to correlate simulations with experimental measurements.
• Support co-development between devices, packaging, thermal systems, and photonic integration platforms.
• Develop reduced-order analytical models alongside full numerical simulation workflows.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across optical design and simulation activities.
• Help define future AI-assisted computational photonics workflows and design infrastructure.

What we need to see:

• PhD or equivalent experience in Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 8+ years experience in optical design, computational photonics, or advanced device simulation.
• Strong background in optical simulation and numerical modeling.
• Experience with electromagnetic, optical, thermal, or multiphysics simulation tools.
• Strong programming capability in Python, MATLAB, or scientific computing environments.
• Ability to connect theoretical modeling with experimental validation and engineering constraints.
• Strong technical leadership and communication skills.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Experience with inverse design or optimization algorithms.
• Experience with semiconductor or integrated photonic devices.
• Strong multiphysics modeling capability.
• AI/ML-assisted simulation or optimization experience.
• Experience bridging device-level and system-level optical design.
• Demonstrated ability to solve difficult first-principles engineering problems.

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [e-mail] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

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