Scientific Project Manager, Silicon Photonics

VTT; Espoo; On-site; EUR 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

VTT, Espoo, Finland, is seeking a Senior Scientist to lead our Silicon Photonics team. You will oversee development of PIC technology, manage research projects funded by VTT and public bodies, and collaborate with customers to advance optical waveguide applications.

Your role combines hands-on design and fabrication tasks with project leadership, customer interaction, and strategic networking to push PIC technology toward new markets.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in physics, photonics, electrical engineering or related field required.
• Basic understanding of optical waveguides, optical fibers, lasers, lenses and photodetectors.
• Experience leading at least one photonics project proposal or commercial offer.
• Experience as project manager leading multiple people in a research/innovation project.
• Hands-on experience in design, simulation, chip/wafer processing, photonics assembly/packaging and optical measurements.
• Experience in at least one PIC application area (optical communication, sensing, LiDAR, imaging or optical computing).
• Proficient in English, both spoken and written.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of technologies, applications and partnerships in silicon photonics.
• Lead public-funded or customer projects and prepare project plans and funding applications.
• Prepare research contracts and R&D offers in collaboration with colleagues.
• Maintain direct contacts with customers with support from sales team.
• Network to raise visibility of silicon photonics and support new projects.
• Disseminate results via publications and presentations.
• Contribute to design, fabrication, assembly, packaging or testing depending on skills.

Skills

Project management

Proposal leadership

English proficiency

Design

Simulation

Wafer processing

Packaging

Optical measurements

Education

Master’s degree in physics, photonics, electrical engineering or related field

Job description

Are you interested in photonics integration and looking for a new job opportunity in the field?Would you like to develop innovative technology with superb colleagues who are top experts in their field? Do you want to work at the interface of academy and industry using state-of-the-art research facilities? VTT might be just the place for you.

VTT is one of the leading applied research organisations in Europe. What unites us are curiosity, a passion for learning and a purpose: to solve the biggest challenges of our timeand turn them into sustainable growth and well-being. Our cross-disciplinary community of over 2300 brilliant minds is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation. Get to know us further by exploring VTT's tech & infra .

We are now looking for a Senior Scientist to join our Silicon photonics team.

As a Senior Scientist, you will broadly contribute to the development of our optical waveguide technology and its use in many different applications. Our photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology covers the design, fabrication, assembly, packaging and testing of components, circuits and systems that are based on optical waveguides integrated on small silicon chips. All these development steps can be done at VTT, including 200 mm wafer processing in our Micronova clean room facility in Espoo, although we also collaborate with many other organizations to do these tasks. Depending on your own skills and preferences, you can have hands-on contributions in some of the technology development steps. However, your primary role will be a project manager who is preparing and leading research projects that are funded by VTT, various public funding organizations and our customers.

Our Silicon Photonics team is one of the global pioneers in the development of PIC technology. We mainly focus on PICs that are based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon nitride waveguides, while we often hybrid integrate these with other materials and PIC technologies. Our 3 µm thick SOI waveguides allow to make low-loss PICs for an extremely wide range of infrared wavelengths (1.2 - 4 µm), while the SiN waveguides extend the feasible wavelength range to visible wavelengths. Our PIC technology can be used in many different applications, such as optical communication, computing, sensing and imaging. It is also linked to artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. We believe that PIC technology plays a key role in solving many global challenges (climate change, healthcare, power-efficient digitalization etc.), while also offering good business opportunities.

Read more about our research: Launch of the PIXEurope pilot line for PIC technology

Asa Senior Scientist,you will:

• Lead the development of specific technologies, applications and/or partnerships in silicon photonics depending on your own expertise
• Lead projects, which may be either public-funded or customer projects
• Prepare projects plans, funding applications and contract R&D offers in collaboration with your colleagues
• Have direct contacts with present and potential customers with the support of your colleagues and VTT's sales organization
• Network within and outside VTT to improve the visibility of our silicon photonic technology and to support the launch of new projects and partnerships
• Disseminate information about our results and offering via publications and presentations
• Contribute to the design, fabrication, assembly, packaging or testing of silicon photonics, depending on your own skills and preferences

Who we are looking for:

• At least Master's degree in physics, photonics, electrical engineering or related field with dedicated courses that cover the theory, technology and applications of photonics
• At least basic understanding about the theory and technology of optical waveguides, optical single-mode fibers, lasers, lenses and photodetectors
• Experience from leading the preparation of at least one project proposal or commercial offer relating to photonics technology development
• Experience from leading at least one research, development or innovation project as a project manager with multiple people in the project team
• Hands-on experience in at least one of the following photonics research tasks: design, simulation, chip/wafer processing, photonics assembly/packaging and optical measurements
• Experience from at least one relevant application area for silicon photonics, such as optical communication, optical sensors, lidars, optical spectroscopy, advanced optical imaging or optical computing. Please note that experience from photovoltaics, illumination and machine vision applications doesn't qualify for this requirement, unless it involves PIC technology.
• Proficient in oral and written communication in English

As a person, we hope that you are:

• A fast learner who is capable of working in a flexible and independent manner, and collaborating with colleagues across different fields of science and technology. We appreciate curiosity, passion as well as the ability to take the long-term perspective and find beyond-the-obvious solutions.
• Able to work well in a multicultural team with English as the primary language at work.

With VTT, you’llenjoy:/ What we offer you:

• Visionary work in technology. We offer positions at the cutting-edge of technology and engineering from next generation microelectronics and quantum technology to automation and robotics, energy systems and more. Our research agenda is dedicated to creating sustainable growth by solving systemic and technological challenges, so your work will go towards creating real, positive impact. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope .
• Fascinating projects, excellent research environment. Our researchers get to work on a combination of cutting-edge academic research and applied customer projects, both locally and internationally. At VTT, you’ll have state-of-the-art research facilities at your disposal, such as Micronova, the Finnish research infrastructure for micro-, nano- and quantum technologies.
• Great career opportunities, superb colleagues. At VTT, excellence in research is a strategic priority. We offer long-term positions and stable career paths in top-level research. People tend to stay with us over 10 years since there are always new roles and responsibilities to grow into. Collaborating in a cross-disciplinary community with superb colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun. Read more about our organisational culture as the builder of the world's most meaningful place to work.
• Support for your well-being. Our people are our main asset, so we take good care of them. We aim to nurture great team spirit and leadership and offer versatile well-being services to enable a good work–life balance. On top of annual 6 weeks of paid holidays (after one year), we offer exercise and culture benefits, hobby clubs, and voluntary well-being services such as meditation programmes and trainings on cognitive ergonomics.

Interested and want to hear more?

For further information, please contact Research Team Leader Timo Aalto, [e-mail] , [phone] on Friday 11th September 15:00-16:00 or Friday 18th September 9:00-10:00 (Helsinki time).

We look forward to hearing from you!

VTT

Location: Tietotie 3