Senior R&D Engineer IPA

SMART Photonics; Eindhoven; On-site; EUR 59,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

SMART Photonics is seeking a Senior R&D Engineer to join the IPA group and lead advanced photonics integration initiatives.

The candidate will drive process strategy, DoE programs, and cross-functional collaboration with scientists, engineers, and cleanroom staff to deliver scalable, high-performance photonic platforms.

Qualifications

• PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field; Master’s considered if rest of requirements met.
• 5+ years of experience in Semiconductor manufacturing (III-V/Si).
• Hands-on industrial experience in integrated photonics (III-V or silicon) and integration techniques.
• Excellent analytical (statistical) problem-solving skills and 8D problem solving.
• Flexibility to operate in a scaleup environment and adapt to changing conditions.
• Ability to maintain detailed and big-picture view of complex processes.
• Team player who can motivate others and drive results.

Responsibilities

• Define process strategy, architecture, and testability requirements.
• Assess changes and their impact on integration.
• Create modular, maintainable, extendable architecture.
• Lead and participate in several technically complex projects.
• Involve in development of new building blocks.
• Conduct Design of Experiments (DoE) to qualify new devices or processes.
• Involved in test verification and validation of the product.
• Align Customer needs with deliverables and expectations.
• Act as a technical expert and share knowledge across the organization.
• Drive cross-functional initiatives to improve yields and solve process problems.
• Lead and/or participate in 8D, FMEA, RCA and process optimization projects.

Skills

English proficiency

Team player

Project ownership

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical problem solving

Education

PhD in Photonics

5+ years semiconductor manufacturing experience

Hands-on photonics integration

Job description

At SMART Photonics, we are at the forefront of photonic innovation, developing advanced photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that shape the future of technology. As a Senior R&D Engineer, you will be part of our dynamic Research & Development team, specifically to the Innovation & Platform Architecture (IPA) group. Working closely with scientists, engineers, cleanroom technicians, and cross-functional departments to create cutting‑edge solutions that address real-world challenges.

We are seeking an experienced R&D Engineer with a strong industrial background in integrated photonics. The ideal candidate will have hands‑on expertise in developing and optimizing photonic components and fabrication processes. This role is particularly suited for professionals who have worked in the Photonic Integration field and can apply their knowledge directly to integrated platform development and innovation.

Insights in your tasks:

• You develop, implement, and improve the definition of process strategy, process architecture, process structure as well as the definition of testability requirements.

• You assess changes and the impact on the integration

• Creates the architecture in modular, easy to maintain and extendable parts

• You lead and participate in several technically complex projects

• You are involved in new building blocks development.

• Conduct Design of Experiments (DoE) to qualify new devices or new processes.

• Involved in the test verification and validation process of the product.

• Align Customer needs and expectations with deliverables.

• Act as a technical expert in your area of specialization, sharing knowledge and insights with colleagues through documentation and training. Offering support across the organization on knowledge area.

• Drive cross functional initiatives to improve and or solve technical topics (improve yields, solve process problems, simplify procedures, processes and selection, qualification and release of new tools and processes with improved capacity and capability).

• Lead and/or participate in improvement initiatives, including 8D problem‑solving, FMEA, RCA, and process optimization projects. Builds the case taking into account the perspectives of key stakeholders.

• PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field. Open to master degree once they meet the rest of the requirements.

• After PhD , at least 5+ years of experience in Semiconductor (III‑V/Si) manufacturing processes.

• Hands‑on industrial experience in integrated photonics (III‑V or silicon) and integration techniques.

• Excellent analytical (statistical) problem‑solving skills/knowledge & 8D problem solving.

• Flexibility to deal with changing environments in a scaleup company

• Demonstrated ability to simultaneously maintain in‑detail and zoom‑out view on complex processes.

• A Team player who knows how to motivate others and getting things done

The ideal candidate has/ shows:

• Strong project ownership mindset with a proactive, solution‑oriented approach to industrial R&D challenges.

• Ambitious and excellent collaboration skills both as team member and working more independently.

• Great communication skills with cross‑functional collaboration experience

• Knowledge of Photonics and Indium Phosphide (InP) manufacturing/integration.

• Experience in optical and electrical characterization of photonic devices

• Proficient in English;

We offer

• An essential key position within our organisation

• To develop with us SMART Photonics into a market leader in an entrepreneurial, dynamic environment.

• A challenging position with plenty of room for own initiatives and professional development and personal growth.

• A talented group of passionate people working in an open, informal culture in multidisciplinary teams.

• Salary in level J (senior engineer) range from EUR 58.500 gross annual to EUR 100.213 gross annual; exact offer depending on industrial relevance, years of experience and seniority exposure. More details to be shared in first conversations.