PIC Engineer

Steneg; Southampton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Steneg in the United Kingdom seeks a Photonic Integrated Circuit Engineer to design, simulate, fabricate and validate photonic devices and circuits. You will translate research concepts into manufacturable layouts and contribute to building blocks and PDK resources.

The role requires a degree in photonics/optical engineering with hands-on experience in photonic design, layout, and experimental validation within an open-access research environment.

Qualifications

• University degree in Photonics, Optical Engineering, Electronics, Physics, or related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of integrated photonics, silicon photonics, or PIC design.
• Experience with photonic device/circuit modelling, simulation, and design methodologies.
• Understanding of photonic layout, design rules, and fabrication processes.
• Ability to translate simulation/experimental results into engineering improvements.

Responsibilities

• Design and simulate silicon photonic devices, components, and integrated circuits.
• Develop photonic building blocks (waveguides, couplers, splitters, gratings, resonators, interferometric structures).
• Perform optical/photonic simulations to evaluate performance and trade-offs before fabrication.
• Translate requirements into physical layouts compatible with fabrication platforms.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external collaborators.

Skills

Integrated photonics

Silicon photonics

Photonic IC design

Data analysis

Technical documentation

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

University degree in Photonics/Optical Engineering/ Electronics/ Physics

Tools

Photonic design tools

PDK

Simulation software

Job description

Our client is a technology-oriented research organization developing advanced silicon photonics technologies and rapid prototyping capabilities for academic, research, and high-performance applications. The organization operates an open-access approach to photonic integrated circuit development and fabrication, enabling new concepts to be tested with greater flexibility and transparency.

Its activities combine photonic design, semiconductor fabrication, deep-UV lithography, prototyping, and collaborative research within a multidisciplinary environment. With an international user community and a strong emphasis on open-source innovation, the organization supports the development and scale-up of silicon photonics technologies while providing engineers with direct exposure to advanced research, fabrication processes, and real-world photonic integration challenges.

Mission

The Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Engineer will contribute to the design, development, simulation, fabrication, and validation of photonic integrated devices and circuits.

The role will support projects from initial device concepts and simulation through layout, design verification, fabrication, and experimental characterization.

Working closely with photonic researchers, fabrication and process specialists, and external collaborators, the engineer will translate photonic concepts and research requirements into manufacturable devices and circuits using the organization’s photonic technology platforms.

The position will also contribute to the continuous development of photonic building blocks, design methodologies, reusable components, and prototyping capabilities.

Responsibilities

Photonic Device and Circuit Design

• Design and simulate silicon photonic devices, components, and integrated circuits according to research, platform, and application requirements.
• Develop photonic building blocks such as waveguides, couplers, splitters, gratings, resonators, interferometric structures, and other integrated optical devices.
• Perform optical and photonic simulations to evaluate device behaviour, optimize performance, and assess design trade-offs prior to fabrication.
• Translate functional and optical requirements into physical layouts compatible with available photonic fabrication platforms.
• Evaluate the impact of fabrication tolerances and process variations on photonic device performance.

Layout, PDK and Design Verification

• Develop and prepare photonic layouts for fabrication and prototyping.
• Ensure designs comply with available process design rules and fabrication constraints.
• Support design verification activities, including design-rule checking and preparation of designs for fabrication or tape-out.
• Contribute to the development, simulation, validation, and continuous improvement of reusable photonic building blocks, component libraries, and PDK-related design resources.
• Support the evolution of photonic design methodologies and workflows used across different technology platforms.

Fabrication and Process Integration

• Work closely with semiconductor fabrication and process engineering teams to ensure photonic designs are compatible with manufacturing capabilities.
• Support the transition of designs from simulation and layout through fabrication and prototyping.
• Provide engineering input into process development and design-for-manufacturing activities.
• Understand and evaluate how lithography, etching, material properties, layer thicknesses, and other fabrication parameters influence photonic device performance.
• Contribute to design and process iterations aimed at improving device performance, manufacturability, and repeatability.

Characterization and Validation

• Support the experimental characterization and validation of fabricated photonic devices and circuits.
• Analyze optical and electrical measurement data and compare experimental results with simulation predictions.
• Identify performance deviations and investigate potential design or fabrication-related causes.
• Feed characterization results into subsequent design and fabrication iterations.
• Contribute to the development of improved device models and design methodologies based on experimental results.

Technical Collaboration

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including photonic designers, researchers, semiconductor process engineers, fabrication specialists, and characterization engineers.
• Support collaborative projects involving academic researchers, industrial partners, and external users of the organization’s photonic fabrication platforms.
• Provide technical input throughout photonic development activities, from early device concepts to fabricated and characterized prototypes.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and collaborative engineering practices within an open-access research and rapid-prototyping environment.

Engineering Development and Documentation

• Prepare and maintain clear technical documentation covering photonic designs, simulations, layouts, fabrication requirements, and characterization results.
• Document design methodologies, reusable components, process constraints, and engineering findings.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of photonic design, fabrication, and validation workflows.
• Support the development and documentation of engineering resources that can be reused across future photonic projects and technology platforms.

Required Qualifications

• University degree in Photonics, Optical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Physics, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrable technical knowledge of integrated photonics, silicon photonics, or photonic integrated circuit design.
• Experience with photonic device or circuit modelling, simulation, and design methodologies.
• Understanding of photonic layout, design rules, and the relationship between photonic device design and semiconductor fabrication processes.
• Understanding of semiconductor fabrication processes and their implications for photonic device performance and manufacturability.
• Ability to analyze simulation and experimental data and translate results into engineering improvements.
• Strong technical documentation and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary research and engineering teams.

Preferred Experience

• Experience designing silicon photonic devices, components, or photonic integrated circuits for fabrication.
• Experience taking photonic designs through simulation, layout, design verification, and fabrication or tape-out.
• Familiarity with photonic simulation, layout, and design automation tools.
• Experience working with photonic PDKs, component libraries, or semiconductor design rules.
• Exposure to semiconductor fabrication, deep-UV lithography, cleanroom processes, or photonic process development.
• Experience with experimental characterization of fabricated photonic devices or integrated circuits.
• Understanding of design-for-manufacturing principles and fabrication tolerances in integrated photonics.
• Experience working in academic, research foundry, open-access, or collaborative technology‑development environments.