Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance

Paid parental leave and flexible PTO

401(k) retirement plan access

Relocation assistance to sunny Los Angeles

Job summary

A leading optical technology company based in California is looking for a Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer. You will be at the forefront of designing and simulating optical circuits for various platforms. The role requires a Master's degree in a relevant field and extensive experience in photonic design. Compensation ranges from $160,000 to $190,000 annually, with benefits including comprehensive health insurance and stock options. This position offers a collaborative environment focused on innovation.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, optical engineering, or applied physics.
• 2+ years of experience in photonics or electro-optical IC design.
• Hands-on familiarity with optical/RF test equipment.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and simulate Photonic Integrated Circuit building blocks.
• Define requirements and specifications for PICs.
• Work with engineering teams to define system functions.

Skills

Experience in photonics or electro-optical IC design

Familiarity with optical/RF test equipment

Education

Master’s degree in electrical engineering or related field

Tools

Lumerical

HFSS

SPICE

Job description

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.

As we develop the next generation of photonic integrated circuits for high-volume optical manufacturing, we are seeking a Photonic Integrated Circuit Designer to architect, simulate, and bring to production the core optical building blocks—modulators, filters, couplers, and more—across silicon photonics, III–V, and other platforms. You will work at the intersection of photonic design, RF engineering, and manufacturing, translating cutting-edge circuit concepts into production-ready components that perform reliably at scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, analyze, and simulate Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) building blocks (e.g., Mach–Zehnder modulators, photodiodes, DWDM filters, waveguides, couplers/splitters, tapers, and switches) on silicon photonics and InGaAs/InP platforms
• Define requirements and specifications for PICs and their optical/electrical interfaces
• Design and model package-level optical interfaces, including edge and grating couplers
• Work with DSP, electro-optics, ASIC, and other engineering teams to define system functions across hardware and software
• Perform PIC routing and layout
• Measure and characterize PIC optical and electrical building blocks
• Develop and automate test solutions for lab validation, quality screening, and manufacturing metrology
• Partner with manufacturing and test teams on production test development and qualification of PICs
• Use simulation tools (e.g., Lumerical, Klayout, COMSOL, HFSS) to support design and verification
• Contribute to RF, analog, and mixed-signal design efforts as needed
• Interface with suppliers to provide technical feedback and test requirements to develop reliable processes

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, optical engineering, or applied physics
• 2+ years of experience in photonics or electro-optical IC design
• Hands-on familiarity with optical/RF test equipment (e.g., spectrum analyzers, VNAs, VSGs, high-speed oscilloscopes, BERTs)
• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• PhD in electrical engineering, computer engineering (electro-optics emphasis), optical engineering, or applied physics
• Experience with electrical simulation tools (e.g., SPICE)
• Familiarity with DSP concepts (e.g., FFE, DFE, CTLE) and optical communications metrics (e.g., OSNR, receiver sensitivity, OMA, optical filtering)
• Strong circuit design and analysis skills across linear and non-linear blocks (e.g., modulator drivers, TIAs, CTLEs, filters, LNAs/PAs)
• Experience designing wideband circuits for >100 Gb/s SerDes links with bandwidths in the tens of GHz
• Familiarity with high-speed modulation formats and link protocols (e.g., NRZ, PAM4)
• Experience characterizing PIC/EIC performance for high-speed optical SerDes systems

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
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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