Staff Photonic Design Engineer

Acceler8 Talent; Washington, Baltimore (District of Columbia, MD); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8Talent partners with a photonics startup in the Washington, D.C. area seeking a Senior/Staff Integrated Photonics Engineer. You will design, simulate, layout, and tape out PICs, and drive device development from concept through fabrication and testing.

You will collaborate with foundries, perform hands-on characterization, analyze data, and help advance photonic products across communications, sensing, defense, and quantum applications.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, Optics, or related STEM field.
• 3–10 years of experience designing and developing photonic integrated circuits.
• Experience owning PIC designs through layout, tapeout, fabrication, and characterization.
• Hands-on experience with photonic device testing, measurement, and data analysis.
• Experience with photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical, FDTD, MODE, CHARGE, Interconnect, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, layout, and tape out photonic integrated circuits and subsystems.
• Develop and optimize active and passive photonic devices for next-generation optical systems.
• Perform hands-on characterization and testing of fabricated photonic devices and circuits.
• Analyze measurement data and use results to drive future design iterations and performance improvements.
• Collaborate with foundry partners, packaging vendors, and cross-functional engineering teams to deliver working hardware.
• Develop scalable workflows for PIC design, simulation, characterization, and automation.
• Lead technical efforts, contribute to product development roadmaps, and support ongoing R&D initiatives.

Skills

PIC design

Device testing

Data analysis

Communication

Independent work

Education

MS or PhD in relevant field

Tools

Lumerical

FDTD

MODE

CHARGE

Interconnect

KLayout

GDSFactory

Cadence Virtuoso

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Acceler8Talent is proud to partner with a well-funded photonics startup in the Washington, D.C. area that is developing next-generation optical microsystems aimed at disrupting traditional laser markets. Founded by recognized leaders in integrated photonics, the company is driving innovation at the forefront of optical technology. Leveraging advanced heterogeneous photonics platforms, its technology enables products with exceptional performance and significant advantages in cost, size, and functionality across communications, sensing, defense, and emerging quantum applications. The team is composed of world-class engineers and scientists dedicated to building transformative technologies and solving complex real-world challenges.

They are looking for a Senior/Staff Integrated Photonics Engineer with expertise in the design, tapeout, and characterization of photonic integrated circuits and a proven ability to take devices from concept through fabrication and testing. As a key member of the engineering team, you will design next-generation PICs, collaborate closely with foundry partners, perform hands‑on device characterization, and help drive the development of innovative photonic products from prototype to deployment.

Can only hire Green Card holders or US Citizens

What You’ll Do:

• Design, simulate, layout, and tape out photonic integrated circuits and subsystems
• Develop and optimize active and passive photonic devices for next-generation optical systems
• Perform hands‑on characterization and testing of fabricated photonic devices and circuits
• Analyze measurement data and use results to drive future design iterations and performance improvements
• Collaborate with foundry partners, packaging vendors, and cross‑functional engineering teams to deliver working hardware
• Develop scalable workflows for PIC design, simulation, characterization, and automation
• Lead technical efforts, contribute to product development roadmaps, and support ongoing R&D initiatives

What You Bring:

• M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a related STEM field
• 3-10 years of experience designing and developing photonic integrated circuits
• Experience owning PIC designs through layout, tapeout, fabrication, and characterization
• Hands‑on experience with photonic device testing, measurement, and data analysis
• Experience with photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical, FDTD, MODE, CHARGE, Interconnect, or similar platforms
• Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to operate independently in a fast‑paced engineering environment

Desired Experience:

• Experience designing active and/or passive silicon photonic devices
• Experience with commercial photonics foundries, PDKs, design rule checks, and tapeout workflows
• Proficiency with PIC layout tools such as KLayout, GDSFactory, Cadence Virtuoso, or similar platforms
• Experience automating measurements, data acquisition, or testing workflows using Python or MATLAB
• Experience with RF characterization of high‑speed photonic devices
• Background in photonic packaging, fiber attach, flip‑chip integration, or PIC‑to‑electronics integration
• Experience developing photonic technologies for communications, sensing, defense, or quantum applications