Silicon Photonics RFIC Design Engineer (High-Speed)

Starlink; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, vision & dental coverage

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation & holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Silicon Photonics Design Engineer to drive RFIC integration and optical IC development for Starlink hardware. You will collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to design, simulate and validate photonic integrated circuits used in space and ground infrastructure.

The role requires a strong background in photonics, RFIC/analog/mixed-signal design, and experience with high-speed SerDes concepts, packaging, and testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science.
• 2+ years of photonics or electro-optical integrated circuit design.
• Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering, computer engineering (with emphasis on electro-optics IC design), or applied physics.
• Experience using electrical simulation tools such as Spectre, ADS.
• Knowledge of advanced packaging for a co-package optics (CPO) solution.
• Electrical circuit design skills, and experience performing analysis and simulation of high-speed circuits.
• Experience with wideband circuit designs supporting >100Gbps data rate and BW >10s of GHz.
• Familiarity with SerDes architectures, NRZ/PAM4 and link protocols.
• Familiarity with optical and RF test equipment such as spectrum analyzers, VSAs, VSGs, oscilloscopes, BERTs.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze and simulate optical building blocks such as MZM and microring modulators, Ge PDs, dWDM filters, waveguides and couplers.
• Derive specifications for Photonics IC systems and circuits.
• Design and model package optical interface including edge/grating couplers.
• Familiar with RF, analog and mixed-signal circuits.
• Work with system architects, DSP, electro-optics, and ASIC engineers to partition functions between hardware and software.
• Perform IC floor planning and layout.
• Evaluate, characterize and measure electrical and optical building blocks of a high-speed optical link solution.
• Assist in development of automated test lab equipment for lab measurements.
• Work with manufacturing engineers on production testing and qualification of PIC circuits and systems.
• Experience using simulation tools such as Lumerical, COMSOL and HFSS.

Skills

Photonic IC design

RFIC knowledge

Analog/mixed-signal

High-speed SerDes

Layout and floorplanning

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical/computer engineering or computer science

Master's degree or PhD in EE/CE or applied physics

Tools

Spectre

ADS

Lumerical

COMSOL

HFSS

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Silicon Photonics Design Engineer to drive RFIC integration and optical IC development for Starlink hardware. You will collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to design, simulate and validate photonic integrated circuits used in space and ground infrastructure.

The role requires a strong background in photonics, RFIC/analog/mixed-signal design, and experience with high-speed SerDes concepts, packaging, and testing.