High Speed Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer

Mesh; Placentia (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long-term incentives including stock options

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance

Paid parental leave

Flexible PTO

401(k) retirement plan access

Relocation assistance

Job summary

A leading optical technologies firm is seeking a High Speed Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer to lead the design and simulation of advanced modulator circuits. The ideal candidate will have a Master's or PhD in electrical engineering and at least 3 years of experience in integrated photonics, focusing on high-speed devices. Responsibilities include driving photonic components from design to fabrication, optimizing performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Benefits include competitive pay and comprehensive insurance coverage.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in integrated photonics.
• Demonstrated experience designing high-speed photonic devices.
• Proficiency with photonic simulation tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and simulate high-speed electro-optic modulators.
• Drive photonic tape-outs end-to-end.
• Analyze measurement results and correlate with models.

Skills

Integrated photonics design

Electro-optic modulators

Programming skills (Python, MATLAB)

Signal integrity

Communication skills

Education

Master's or PhD in electrical engineering or related field

Tools

Ansys Lumerical

HFSS

COMSOL

Job description

High Speed Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer

HIGH SPEED PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DESIGNER

Mesh Optical Technologies was founded on the belief that optical photons will be at the center of advanced technologies in the coming century. Making advanced technology ubiquitous means building at scale, and that’s exactly what we’re doing at Mesh.

At the heart of next-generation optical links are high-speed electro-optic modulators and transmitters pushing tens of gigahertz and beyond. We are seeking a High Speed Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer to lead the design, simulation, and tape-out of advanced modulator circuits across silicon photonics, III–V, and other platforms. You will drive photonic components from concept through foundry fabrication—owning device modeling, RF co-design, and performance optimization to deliver production-ready transmitters for coherent and direct-detect systems at scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, simulate, and optimize high-speed electro-optic modulators and integrated photonic circuits across silicon photonics and III–V platforms (e.g., InP/InGaAsP), with applications spanning advanced coherent and IM/DD transmitters
• Drive photonic tape-outs end-to-end, including circuit design, DOE planning, hands-on layout, foundry interfacing, and coordination with packaging and electronic driver stakeholders
• Own device, circuit, and system modeling workflows using industry tools (e.g., Lumerical Mode/FDTD/Interconnect, BeamPROP, HFSS, ADS/Ansys Designer, VPI), and develop models that incorporate process variation and fab non-idealities
• Lead RF, signal integrity, and high-speed interconnect design from die to carrier/package/PCB, including co-design of chip, carrier, RF package, and chip-on-carrier interconnects; identify and resolve signal integrity issues across the link
• Partner with driver and packaging teams/suppliers to optimize end-to-end modulator + driver performance, including impedance matching, bandwidth, voltage swing, and power/thermal constraints
• Define design-for-test strategies and collaborate with test and assembly teams to plan and execute automated, high-volume characterization and assembly-level validation; develop new test methods as needed
• Analyze measurement results (e.g., EO S-parameters/S21, eye diagrams, mask margin, RIN, chirp) and correlate test and physical data (including SEM/fab feedback) to models to drive root-cause analysis and performance improvement

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s or PhD in electrical engineering, applied physics, optical engineering, or a related discipline
• 3+ years of industrial experience in integrated photonics, including design and modeling of passive and active components with emphasis on electro-optic phase shifters/modulators
• Demonstrated experience designing high-speed photonic devices (10+ GHz bandwidth and beyond preferred) and understanding key transmitter architectures (e.g., PAM4, coherent formats)
• Proficiency with photonic simulation tools (e.g., Ansys Lumerical; COMSOL, Tidy3D/Meep, or similar) and familiarity with photonic circuit modeling (e.g., Interconnect/SAX or equivalent)
• Working knowledge of RF fundamentals and signal integrity; experience with EM/SI simulation tools (e.g., HFSS, ADS, Ansys Designer)
• Photonic layout and tapeout experience (e.g., IPKISS, GDSFactory, or similar) and understanding of foundry processes and design rules
• Strong programming and data analysis skills (e.g., Python and/or MATLAB) for automation, visualization, and data-driven design decisions
• Strong communication skills and ability to work independently in a fast-moving, cross-functional team
• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Deep expertise in high-bandwidth, low-voltage modulator design across material systems (e.g., doped silicon, thin-film lithium niobate, BTO, InP/GaAs/AlGaAs/InGaAsP), including large-signal behavior and practical transmitter integration
• Experience with chip-to-package co-design: chip-on-carrier/RF packaging, high-speed interconnect design, and PCB-to-package SI closure
• Experience correlating models to characterization and physical metrology (e.g., wafer/process variation modeling, SEM correlation, fab issue root-cause)
• Familiarity with high-speed characterization methods and test metrics (e.g., S-parameters, time-domain large-signal measurements, eye/mask, RIN, chirp) and experience defining testability and automated test strategies
• Experience collaborating directly with driver vendors or internal driver teams to optimize combined driver–modulator performance
• Understanding and/or hands-on experience with photonic packaging and photonic–electronic interfaces (drivers, TIAs, etc.)
• Experience with system-level simulation for optical links and transmitters (e.g., VPI, ADS, Interconnect)

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
High Speed Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer: $160,000.00 - $190,000.00/per year

Title and base salary are determined on a case by case basis commensurate with experience and merit.

In addition to base salary, compensation for this role includes:

• Eligibility for long-term incentives including company stock options and discretionary bonuses awarded for exceptional achievements.
• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance with significant cost covered by the company for yourself and dependents.
• Paid parental leave and flexible PTO (3 weeks accrued vacation and 10 company holidays per year).
• 401(k) retirement plan access.
• Relocation assistance to sunny Los Angeles.

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