Senior PIC Systems Engineer

iPRONICS; Valencia; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health insurance

Life insurance

Flexible compensation plan

Restaurant tickets

Transport benefits

Childcare vouchers

Job summary

iPronics is seeking a Senior PIC Systems Engineer to join the PIC Architectures team in the Photonics Department, focusing on system-level modelling and performance analysis of large-scale silicon photonics optical circuits. This is a hands-on, on-site role in Valencia with potential for flexible remote work.

You will bridge component data, circuit design and end-to-end link performance, delivering Python-based tools and clear technical reports.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Telecommunication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline, with a focus on optical communications or integrated photonics.
• 3+ years of experience in optical system or photonic circuit modelling, in industry or research.
• Strong hands-on experience with VPIphotonics or equivalent optical system simulation tools.
• Solid understanding of optical communication fundamentals: BER, OSNR, crosstalk penalties, link budgets, transceiver architectures and modulation formats.
• Experience with photonic circuit simulation (e.g., Lumerical INTERCONNECT, VPI photonic circuit modules, or Python-based S-matrix solvers).
• Proficiency in Python for modelling, data analysis and automation.
• Reliable, proactive, and self-motivated, with excellent communication skills and the ability to drive technical decisions independently.
• Fluent in English (C1 level or higher).

Responsibilities

• Building and running system-level simulations of optical links using VPIphotonics (or similar tools) to evaluate signal integrity, BER, OSNR and power penalties.
• Modelling and analysing optical crosstalk (coherent and incoherent) in large-scale switch fabrics and quantifying its impact on link performance.
• Evaluating the interaction between the optical switch and transceivers (e.g., ER4, FR4, DR4), defining link budgets and system-level requirements.
• Correlating simulation results with lab measurements and contributing to system-level test plans.
• Developing advanced circuit-level simulations of our photonic integrated circuits, including bidirectional operation, WDM and multiplexing/demultiplexing, to predict insertion loss, optical crosstalk, and wavelength and polarization dependence.
• Analyzing thermal crosstalk and other non-idealities (process variations, drift, control errors) and their effect on switch performance and calibration.
• Translating system and customer requirements into architecture and component specifications for the design team.
• Developing and maintaining Python-based modelling tools and workflows and delivering clear technical reports.

Skills

Python

System-level modelling

BER/OSNR analysis

Optical crosstalk analysis

Transceiver architectures

Education

MSc or PhD in Telecommunication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related

Tools

VPIphotonics

Lumerical INTERCONNECT

Python-based S-matrix solvers

Job description

iPronics is seeking a Senior PIC Systems Engineer to join the PIC Architectures team within our Photonics Department, working on large-scale silicon photonics optical circuit switches. This is a system-level role focused on modelling and analysing the optical performance of complete photonic circuits and links, rather than component design or layout. The position is primarily on-site at our Valencia office, with the possibility of flexible remote work.

Main Responsibilities

As a senior member of the PIC Architectures team, you will lead the system-level modelling and performance analysis of our photonic switch architectures, bridging component data, circuit design and end-to-end link performance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Building and running system-level simulations of optical links using VPIphotonics (or similar tools) to evaluate signal integrity, BER, OSNR and power penalties.
• Modelling and analysing optical crosstalk (coherent and incoherent) in large-scale switch fabrics and quantifying its impact on link performance.
• Evaluating the interaction between the optical switch and transceivers (e.g., ER4, FR4, DR4), defining link budgets and system-level requirements.
• Correlating simulation results with lab measurements and contributing to system-level test plans.
• Developing advanced circuit-level simulations of our photonic integrated circuits, including bidirectional operation, WDM and multiplexing/demultiplexing, to predict insertion loss, optical crosstalk, and wavelength and polarization dependence.
• Analyzing thermal crosstalk and other non-idealities (process variations, drift, control errors) and their effect on switch performance and calibration.
• Translating system and customer requirements into architecture and component specifications for the design team.
• Developing and maintaining Python-based modelling tools and workflows and delivering clear technical reports.

Desired Skills & Experience

• MSc or PhD in Telecommunication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline, with a focus on optical communications or integrated photonics.
• 3+ years of experience in optical system or photonic circuit modelling, in industry or research.
• Strong hands-on experience with VPIphotonics or equivalent optical system simulation tools.
• Solid understanding of optical communication fundamentals: BER, OSNR, crosstalk penalties, link budgets, transceiver architectures and modulation formats.
• Experience with photonic circuit simulation (e.g., Lumerical INTERCONNECT, VPI photonic circuit modules, or Python-based S-matrix solvers).
• Proficiency in Python for modelling, data analysis and automation.
• Reliable, proactive, and self-motivated, with excellent communication skills and the ability to drive technical decisions independently.
• Fluent in English (C1 level or higher).

Nice to have

• Experience with optical circuit switches, datacenter interconnects, or AI/HPC networking.
• Lab experience with high-speed optical test equipment (BERT, OSA) and comparing models with measured data.
• Knowledge of control and calibration of large-scale or programmable photonic circuits.
• Familiarity with software engineering practices (Git, testing) and HPC environments for large simulation sweeps.

What we offer

• Permanent full-time position
• December 24th and 31st off
• One extra day off during your birthday month
• Private health insurance and life insurance
• Flexible compensation plan (restaurant tickets, transport, and childcare vouchers)