Senior PIC Designer – RF & High-Speed Photonics

If you’re ready to go beyond incremental improvements and design the photonic circuits of tomorrow, this is the role for you. Join a team pushing the boundaries of silicon photonics and RF integration to enable ultra-fast optical links for telecom, AI, and next-generation data infrastructure.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll be part of a specialist R&D team at the forefront of PIC innovation, leading RF-integrated photonic design from concept to validation:

• Design and optimize RF elements in traveling-wave modulators, including transmission lines, Baluns, biasing networks, and terminations
• Evaluate novel material systems and optical effects (Pockels effect, plasma dispersion) for high-speed modulators
• Develop equalization and dispersion compensation techniques to maximize bandwidth and signal fidelity
• Collaborate with driver, test, and process engineers to co-design fully integrated photonic-RF solutions
• Lead layout, simulation, testing, and validation of PICs for high-speed applications

What you’ll bring

• PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field with 3+ years’ industry experience,
• or MSc with 6+ years’ experience
• Proven experience in modulator design (Silicon or III-V materials) with high-speed RF integration
• Strong skills with RF and photonic simulation tools: CST, HFSS, ADS, COMSOL, or equivalent
• Experience characterizing high-speed RF components and understanding system-level signal integrity
• Knowledge of silicon photonics device design and fabrication
• Familiarity with layout tools: Luceda IPKISS, Tanner L-Edit, or similar
• Python and Linux scripting experience is a bonus
• Excellent collaboration and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate RF concepts into manufacturable PIC designs

What’s in it for you

• Lead high-impact PIC & RF design projects in a well-funded, innovation-driven team
• Enjoy autonomy and ownership over RF performance across next-gen photonic systems
• Work in a collaborative, international R&D environment based in vibrant Gent
• Contribute to the future of telecom and AI photonics, from concept to high-volume deployment

How to apply

Send your CV or get in touch to explore this unique PIC + RF design opportunity.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Jack Kindell