Integrated Photonics Engineer

Acceler8 Talent; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8 Talent in Arlington, VA is seeking an Integrated Photonics Engineer to own the complete PIC development cycle from design to tapeout. You will design active and passive photonic devices, simulate performance, review layouts, work with foundry PDKs, and characterize devices, driving the process forward with Python‑based automation.

You will collaborate across fabrication, packaging and electronics, leveraging tools like Lumerical and layout suites to deliver robust photonic chips for

Qualifications

• Hands-on engineer with PIC tapeout experience.
• Experience designing active and passive photonic devices.
• Experience working with foundry PDKs and tapeout flows.
• Ability to automate measurements and analysis with Python.
• Ability to collaborate across fabrication, packaging and electronics.

Responsibilities

• Designing active and passive photonic devices
• Simulating device and circuit performance
• Creating and reviewing PIC layouts
• Working with foundry PDKs, DRCs and tapeout flows
• Characterizing fabricated devices
• Automating measurements and analysis with Python
• Using test results to improve subsequent designs
• Collaborating across fabrication, packaging and electronics.

Skills

PIC development

Device design

Device simulation

Python automation

Lumerical

Layout tools

Characterization setups

Independence

Tools

Lumerical

KLayout

GDSFactory

Virtuoso

Python

Job description

Integrated Photonics Engineer

Acceler8 Talent | Arlington, Virginia, United States (On-site)

On-site | Arlington, VA | Five days per week

$150k–$220k base

I’m working with an early‑stage photonics company developing heterogeneous photonic integrated circuits for communications, sensing, quantum and national‑security applications.

Founded by experienced leaders from DARPA and the commercial silicon‑photonics industry, the company is building optical microsystems that integrate multiple materials and functions on‑chip.

They are looking for a hands‑on engineer who can own the complete PIC development cycle:

Design → layout → tapeout → characterization → iteration

You’ll work on:

• Designing active and passive photonic devices
• Simulating device and circuit performance
• Creating and reviewing PIC layouts
• Working with foundry PDKs, DRCs and tapeout flows
• Characterizing fabricated devices
• Automating measurements and analysis with Python
• Using test results to improve subsequent designs
• Collaborating across fabrication, packaging and electronics.

Looking for engineers who have:

• Personally owned or led a PIC tapeout
• Taken devices from design through experimental measurement
• Hands‑on experience with Lumerical
• Used KLayout, GDSFactory, Virtuoso or similar layout tools
• Worked with commercial foundries and PDKs
• Built or operated optical characterization setups
• The independence to work across the complete PIC workflow.

Experience with silicon, SiN, TFLN, III‑V or other heterogeneous photonic platforms can be relevant. High‑speed optical testing and photonic packaging are valuable but not essential.

This is an opportunity to move advanced photonic devices rapidly from concept to working hardware while owning considerably more than one isolated part of the process.