PIC Designer – Photonics Platform & Data-Driven R&D

Neara; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Neara is seeking a PIC Designer in a hybrid role based in Santa Clara, CA. You will own and support development of OpenLight PICs built on heterogeneous III-V and silicon photonics platforms. The role bridges design, test, operations, and reliability to enable qualification and release.

You will analyze data from device and system measurements, contribute to design reviews, and collaborate across teams to ensure performance and compliance of PIC products.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• 1–2 years minimum experience in photonics or semiconductor devices.
• Detail oriented with strong documentation discipline.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment.
• Ability to interpret large datasets and extract actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Own engineering activities across prototype and development stages for PIC based optical products.
• Support design and layout reviews for PICs, ensuring adherence to design rules and manufacturability.
• Perform data analysis on device and system-level measurements to evaluate performance trends.
• Drive debug, root cause analysis, and performance optimization across process and design variations.
• Interface with test engineering teams to define test plans and measurement methodologies.
• Interface with system engineering to provide thermal model and support EVT/DVT tests.

Skills

Data interpretation

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional communication

Problem solving

Detail oriented

Education

MS or PhD in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science

Tools

JMP

Python (NumPy, Pandas)

Job description

Neara is seeking a PIC Designer in a hybrid role based in Santa Clara, CA. You will own and support development of OpenLight PICs built on heterogeneous III-V and silicon photonics platforms. The role bridges design, test, operations, and reliability to enable qualification and release.

You will analyze data from device and system measurements, contribute to design reviews, and collaborate across teams to ensure performance and compliance of PIC products.