Photonic Design & Fab Engineer

Acceler8 Talent; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8Talent is partnering with a well-funded AI hardware startup in the Boulder area to push a fundamentally new computing architecture that combines superconducting electronics with integrated photonics.

The Photonics Fabrication and Design Engineer will own hands-on fabrication in a research cleanroom and drive the full design-build-test-learn cycle for photonic devices across silicon nitride and superconducting platforms, including SNSPDs.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in a relevant technical field.
• Hands-on microfabrication experience.
• Experience with silicon photonics or SiN.
• Understanding of passive photonic components.
• Experience with EM simulation tools (Ansys Lumerical, Tidy3D).
• Layout and tapeout knowledge (KLayout, Cadence).
• Ability to work independently in fast-moving R&D.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end prototype fabrication runs in a research cleanroom environment.
• Develop, execute, and optimize fabrication processes for integrated photonic and superconducting devices.
• Fabricate devices across silicon nitride photonics and superconducting platforms, including SNSPDs.
• Design, simulate, and optimize passive SiN photonic components (grating couplers, splitters, mode converters, edge couplers, optical I/O).
• Translate experimental processes into repeatable SOPs and stable Processes of Record.
• Contribute to PDks, component libraries, and design rules.
• Collaborate with photonics test, packaging, and systems teams to correlate device performance with fabrication data.
• Analyze fabrication results and drive process and design improvements.
• Accelerate rapid design-build-test-learn cycles across the photonics hardware platform.

Skills

Microfabrication

Photonic design

EM simulation

Layout tools

Strong communication

Education

B.S./M.S./Ph.D. in EE/Physics/Optics/Photonics/Materials Science

Tools

Ansys Lumerical

Tidy3D

KLayout

Luceda

Cadence

Job description

Acceler8Talent is proud to partner with a well-funded AI hardware startup in the Boulder area that has raised $30.7M in seed funding to develop a fundamentally new computing architecture combining superconducting electronics with integrated photonics. Emerging from research conducted within the NIST ecosystem, the company is rethinking how AI compute is built from first principles, using neuroscience-inspired approaches to overcome the scaling, efficiency, and communication limitations of conventional silicon-based systems.

The team is developing cryogenic photonic networks that integrate photonic integrated circuits, lasers, and superconducting photon detectors with novel computing hardware. Backed by significant venture funding and government-supported research programs, the company is entering an important phase of hardware development and team growth.

They are looking for a Photonics Fabrication and Design Engineer to develop the integrated photonic devices at the core of their technology platform. This is a highly hands-on, high-ownership role combining cleanroom fabrication with passive photonic design, giving you responsibility across the full design-build-test-learn cycle rather than limiting you to one narrow part of the development process.

What You’ll Do:

• Own end-to-end prototype fabrication runs in a research cleanroom environment
• Develop, execute, and optimize fabrication processes for integrated photonic and superconducting devices
• Fabricate devices across silicon nitride photonics and superconducting platforms, including superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs)
• Design, simulate, and optimize passive SiN photonic components including grating couplers, splitters, mode converters, edge couplers, and optical I/O structures
• Translate experimental processes into repeatable standard operating procedures and stable Processes of Record
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of internal Process Design Kits (PDKs), component libraries, and design rules
• Work closely with photonics test, packaging, and systems integration teams to correlate device performance with fabrication data
• Analyze fabrication results and use experimental feedback to drive process and device design improvements
• Help accelerate rapid design-build-test-learn cycles across the photonics hardware platform

What You Bring:

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics, Photonics, Materials Science, or a related technical field
• Hands-on experience with microfabrication, nanofabrication, or semiconductor processing
• Experience fabricating devices using silicon photonics, silicon nitride, superconducting electronics, or a related device platform
• Strong understanding of passive photonic component design
• Experience with electromagnetic simulation tools such as Ansys Lumerical, Tidy3D, or similar platforms
• Understanding of photonic layout, Design Rule Checking, and tapeout concepts
• Experience with layout tools such as KLayout, Luceda, Cadence, or similar platforms
• Ability to independently own experimental fabrication work in a fast-moving R&D environment
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate closely across design, test, packaging, and systems teams

Desired Experience:

• Experience fabricating superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) or other superconducting devices
• Experience with silicon nitride (SiN) photonics
• Experience designing passive integrated photonic components such as couplers, splitters, waveguides, or mode converters
• Experience with heterogeneous or hybrid integration techniques such as bump bonding or fusion bonding
• Experience transferring fabrication processes to external fabs or working directly with commercial foundries
• Experience developing repeatable fabrication processes, SOPs, or Processes of Record
• Experience building or maintaining PDKs, component libraries, or fabrication design rules
• Previous experience working in shared multi-user fabrication facilities such as university cleanrooms, national laboratories, or advanced commercial R&D centers

This is an opportunity to join a small, rapidly growing hardware team where you can have direct influence across device design, fabrication, process development, and integration, rather than owning only one isolated step in a mature production flow.