Senior/Lead Photonics Scientist

Piris Labs; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Piris Labs is seeking a hands-on technical leader to guide photonic system development from early experiments to system-level validation. The successful candidate will own design decisions, analyze receiver noise, and drive performance improvements across laser, RF, electronics, and packaging interfaces.

The role requires a PhD and 5+ years in laser or photonics research, with a track record of technical ownership and collaboration in a fast-moving hardware environment.

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of relevant industry or postdoctoral research experience.
• Deep knowledge of laser physics, semiconductor lasers, electro-optics, and photodetectors.
• Hands-on experience developing or characterizing mode-locked lasers, electro-optic frequency combs, comb lasers, or related photonic systems.
• Strong understanding of laser noise and frequency- and time-domain noise characterization.
• Ability to independently design experiments, analyze results, and translate findings into engineering decisions.
• Technical ownership of a complex hardware system or product, with understanding of fabrication, packaging, RF design, electronics, and optical architecture.
• Strong experimental troubleshooting, technical communication, and documentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, multidisciplinary product-development environment.

Responsibilities

• Define photonic system requirements and lead development from early experimentation through system-level validation.
• Design and execute experiments to characterize lasers, receivers, noise, and overall system performance.
• Identify device- and system-level limitations and work with RF, electronics, fabrication, and packaging engineers to resolve them.
• Make engineering tradeoffs involving architecture, integration, manufacturability, reliability, testability, and product performance.

Skills

Laser physics

Semiconductor lasers

Electro-optics

Photodetectors

Mode-locked lasers

Electro-optic frequency combs

Noise characterization

Experiment design

Hardware system ownership

Documentation

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering / Applied Physics / Photonics / Optics

Tools

Ansys Lumerical

Tidy3D

Job description

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of relevant industry or postdoctoral research experience.
• Deep knowledge of laser physics, semiconductor lasers, electro-optics, and photodetectors.
• Hands-on experience developing or characterizing one or more of the following: mode-locked lasers, electro-optic frequency combs, comb lasers, or related photonic systems.
• Strong understanding of laser noise and experience with frequency- and time-domain noise characterization.
• Ability to independently design experiments, analyze results, identify device- and system-level limitations, and translate findings into engineering decisions.
• Demonstrated technical ownership of a complex hardware system or product, with an understanding of how fabrication, packaging, RF design, electronics, and optical architecture affect overall performance.
• Strong experimental troubleshooting, technical communication, and documentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, multidisciplinary product-development environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with RF and microwave systems, high-speed VNAs, RF circuit models, and electro-optic measurements.
• Technical leadership or end-to-end ownership of a photonic subsystem or hardware product, ideally within the semiconductor, optical communications, or high-speed hardware industry.
• Experience with high-speed optical communications, optical interconnects, coherent or direct-detection systems, or related technologies.
• Experience collaborating with nanofabrication and device-fabrication teams.
• Experience with photonic or electromagnetic simulation tools such as Ansys Lumerical, Tidy3D, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

• Define photonic system requirements and lead development from early experimentation through system-level validation.
• Design and execute experiments to characterize lasers, receivers, noise, and overall system performance.
• Identify device- and system-level limitations and work with RF, electronics, fabrication, and packaging engineers to resolve them.
• Make engineering tradeoffs involving architecture, integration, manufacturability, reliability, testability, and product performance.

About the Role

This is a hands-on technical leadership role with substantial ownership. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between fundamental laser physics, experimental data, receiver-noise diagnosis, device performance, and the practical decisions required to turn a laboratory system into a reliable product.

Location

This is an on-site position in the San Francisco Bay Area. Candidates must be based in or willing to relocate to the Bay Area and legally authorized to work in the United States.

Compensation

Base salary: $140,000–$250,000 per year, depending on experience, technical depth, and scope of responsibility.Additional compensation may include equity and benefits, depending on the position and employment arrangement.Piris Labs is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, without regard to any status protected by applicable law.

Compensation: $140,000–$250,000 per year, depending on experience, plus equity and benefits. [e-mail]