Senior Photonics Design Engineer
Location: Raleigh, NC | Full-Time
About the Role
We are seeking a Senior Photonics Design Engineer to help develop next-generation photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and nonlinear optical systems for advanced sensing, quantum, and optical technology applications.
This is a hands-on role for an experienced engineer who thrives in a fast-paced R&D environment and enjoys taking ownership of challenging photonic design problems from concept through validation.
What You’ll Do
- Design and model integrated photonic components including waveguides, resonators, modulators, gratings, and couplers.
- Develop and optimize nonlinear optical systems and photonic link budgets.
- Design electro-optic, thermo-optic, and other tuning/control mechanisms.
- Collaborate with fabrication and test teams on device layouts, experiments, and performance analysis.
- Drive new PIC designs from concept through testing and validation.
- Contribute to innovative photonic architectures, IP development, and product roadmap activities.
What We’re Looking For
- Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics, Materials Science, or a related field.
- 6+ years of industry experience in PIC design, photonic component design, or nonlinear optics.
- Expertise with photonic simulation tools such as COMSOL, FDTD, EME, RSoft, Synopsys, or similar.
- Experience with photonic layout tools such as GDSFactory, PHIDL, or Cadence.
- Strong analytical skills and proficiency with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools.
- Experience working with optical systems, lasers, fibers, or free-space optics.
Preferred
- Experience with silicon photonics, silicon nitride, TFLN, or other PIC platforms.
- Startup or advanced R&D experience.
- Knowledge of semiconductor lasers, RF electronics, or UV/visible photonic systems.
Why Join Us?
- Work on cutting-edge photonic technologies.
- Significant technical ownership and impact.
- Collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment.
- Competitive compensation, benefits, and equity opportunity.
Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
Nozipho Mbatha