PIC Design Engineer

Actalent; Colorado; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an Integrated Circuit Design Engineer specializing in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for quantum computing platforms. The candidate will design, simulate, lay out, fabricate, and test PICs, collaborating with physicists and optical engineers to meet demanding performance goals.

Responsibilities include leading PIC development efforts, creating manufacturable layouts, and ensuring design-for-manufacturing practices across cross-disciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of PIC design experience (advanced degree inclusive).
• Experience with photonic simulation tools (Lumerical, RSoft) and layout tools (Klayout, GDSFactory).
• Strong lab experience with optical systems and testing of PICs.

Responsibilities

• Participate in a multidisciplinary team with physicists and optical engineers to support quantum computing systems.
• Design and develop integrated photonic components and systems to route and manipulate light for quantum applications.
• Collaborate with architecture, physics, fabrication, and mechanical teams to define system requirements.
• Translate technical requirements into actionable design plans for photonic devices and circuits.
• Lead design efforts within the PIC development team and coordinate with external vendors.

Skills

Photonic IC Design

Lab Testing

Cross-functional Teams

Python/ Matlab/ C

Tools

Lumerical

RSoft

Klayout

GDSFactory

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Integrated Circuit Design Engineer (Photonic Integrated Circuits)

This role focuses on designing and developing integrated photonic components and systems that enable cutting-edge quantum computing platforms. You will work closely with physicists, optical engineers, and cross-disciplinary teams to create novel photonic integrated circuits (PICs), translate complex technical requirements into practical designs, and validate performance through simulation, layout, fabrication, and testing. The position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to advanced quantum computing systems while shaping the next generation of integrated photonic technology.

Responsibilities

• Participate in a multidisciplinary team of physicists and optical engineers to support the development of commercial and research systems for quantum computing.
• Design and develop integrated photonic components and systems in innovative ways to deliver, route, and manipulate light across the spectrum for quantum applications.
• Collaborate with architecture, physics, photonics, fabrication, and mechanical engineering teams to define system architectures and technical requirements that support quantum computing performance goals.
• Gather, analyze, and refine technical requirements, translate them into actionable design plans, and ensure that components and systems meet or exceed these requirements.
• Design novel integrated photonic components to meet challenging specifications in terms of performance, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Create and refine layouts for test photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and work closely with fabrication and test teams to validate photonic component and system performance.
• Lead and coordinate efforts within the PIC development team and with external vendors to ensure timely development, fabrication, and delivery of key demonstrator systems and components.
• Apply design-for-manufacturing principles to photonic circuits to ensure robust, scalable, and repeatable production.
• Work with photonics fabrication processes and metrology to evaluate materials, structures, and device performance, and feed results back into the design cycle.
• Contribute to product development activities related to photonic design, fabrication, and packaging of PIC systems.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to develop integrated solutions that balance optical, mechanical, electrical, and system-level constraints.
• Lead and mentor small teams, providing technical guidance and support to more junior engineers and researchers.
• Use photonic simulation tools and layout tools to model, optimize, and document photonic devices and circuits.
• Use and maintain optical and photonic systems in the lab, including setup, alignment, and troubleshooting.
• Perform testing and data analysis for optical experiments, including taking measurements, plotting and analyzing data, fitting models, and interpreting results to guide design improvements.
• Communicate design decisions, trade-offs, and results clearly to stakeholders across disciplines, contributing to reviews and technical documentation.

Essential Skills

• Minimum 6+ years of experience (advanced degree inclusive) with photonic integrated circuits (PIC) design using photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical, RSoft, or similar guided-mode and FDTD solvers, along with photonic layout tools such as Klayout, GDSFactory, or equivalent.
• Minimum 4+ years of experience (advanced degree inclusive) using and maintaining optical or photonic systems in a laboratory or product development environment.
• Strong hands-on experience in photonic design and integrated circuit layout, including test PICs and complex photonic architectures.
• Proficiency with photonic simulation tools (for example, Lumerical, RSoft, or comparable tools) for device and circuit-level modeling.
• Proficiency with photonic layout tools (for example, Klayout, GDSFactory, or comparable tools) for creating manufacturable designs.
• Broad understanding of optical principles and practices, and demonstrated experience applying this knowledge to real-world projects.
• Programming experience in Matlab, Python, and C for modeling, simulation, automation, and data analysis.
• Experience with testing and data analysis, including acquiring optical measurement data, plotting and analyzing results, fitting models, and interpreting outcomes to guide design decisions.
• Experience working with cross-disciplinary teams, including architecture, physics, fabrication, mechanical engineering, and photonics.
• Ability to gather technical requirements, convert them into clear action plans, and drive designs to meet performance