Photonics IC Engineer - Tech Lead

Lyte; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Flexible vacation and time-off policy

Collaborative and inclusive work environment

Job summary

Lyte in Sunnyvale, California is hiring a Photonics IC Technical Lead to lead the design and development of silicon photonics devices. Ideal candidates will have a Master's or Ph.D. in a related field and strong experience in photonic design, EDA tools, and laboratory testing. The role offers a competitive salary between $150,000 - $250,000 annually and a collaborative work environment focused on cutting-edge technologies.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in photonic device design, optimization and layout.
• Deep understanding of integrated photonics and optical systems.
• Ability to translate system requirements into photonic design specifications.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of high-performance, manufacturable passive and active Silicon photonics components.
• Create and optimize photonics layouts and contribute to tapeouts.
• Perform comprehensive simulations and modeling to get the first designs right.
• Support the transition of designs from R&D into high-volume manufacturing.

Skills

Photonic device design

Electromagnetics

Semiconductor physics

EDA tools

Laboratory testing

Python

C/C++

MATLAB

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics

Tools

Lumerical

Tidy3d

COMSOL

Job description

About Lyte

Lyte builds perception systems for Physical AI operating in complex environments. The company combines custom silicon, integrated sensors, and software into a unified platform for robotics, mobility, and next-generation automation. Lyte is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a global presence. For more information, visit www.lyte.ai

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated Photonics IC Technical Lead to join our team. In this role, you will lead the design and development of silicon photonics devices, sub-systems, and PICs, while collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary engineering team. This role involves design, tapeout, and test from wafer level to module level. This position requires deep expertise in photonic IC design and tapeout, electromagnetics, packaging, and semiconductor physics. You should have a strong understanding of both passive and active components, with extensive experience using EDA tools and conducting laboratory testing.

What You\'ll Do

• Lead the design of high-performance, manufacturable passive and active Silicon photonics components
• Create and optimize photonics layouts and contribute to tapeouts
• Perform comprehensive simulations and modeling to get the first designs right
• Participate in design reviews and contribute to design methodology improvements
• Create detailed design documentation and technical specifications
• Develop and implement test plans, procedures, and methodologies for wafer level, chip level, eval board level to sub-module level testing
• Troubleshoot and debug test setups and design issues, identifying and resolving challenges
• Perform test measurements and data analysis to characterize device performance
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive product improvements and resolve technical challenges
• Support the transition of designs from R&D into high-volume manufacturing

Required Qualifications

• Master\'s or Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in photonic device design, optimization and layout
• Deep understanding of integrated photonics and optical systems
• Proficiency in photonic simulation tools like Lumerical, Tidy3d, COMSOL
• Portfolio of designed and demonstrated photonic components or systems
• Ability to translate system requirements into photonic design specifications
• Experience in photonics wafer level and chip level testing
• Experience developing software in Python, C, C++, or MATLAB
• Experience building and debugging complicated optical systems involving lasers

Preferred Qualifications

• Good understanding in coherent communication, signal integration, integrated optics, and semiconductor physics
• Experience with lasers, free-space and fiber optics, signal processing, data science, electronic IC design, opto-electronic packaging, and electrical engineering is a plus
• Solid communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to operate effectively in a startup environment with ambiguity, speed, and high ownership

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible vacation and time-off policy
• Collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive work environment
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies with a highly cross-functional team

Pay Range

The Pay Range For This Role Is 150,000 - 250,000 USD per year (Bay Area, CA)