Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Designer, Ph.D.

Location: North Carolina, USA
Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Designer to join our growing engineering team. This position offers the opportunity to develop next-generation photonic technologies for high-speed optical communication, networking, and advanced photonics applications.

As a PIC Designer, you will play a key role in designing, simulating, and optimizing integrated photonic devices and circuits, working closely with multidisciplinary teams to bring innovative products from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for high-speed optical communication systems.
• Create and optimize photonic components including modulators, waveguides, couplers, filters, multiplexers, and photodetectors.
• Perform device and circuit simulations using industry-standard photonic design tools.
• Develop fabrication-ready layouts and support foundry tape-outs.
• Collaborate with RF, packaging, test, and systems engineers to ensure product performance and manufacturability.
• Analyze test results and drive design improvements.
• Support technology development, intellectual property generation, and product innovation.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• Strong experience in Silicon Photonics and photonic integrated circuit design.
• Expertise in high-speed optical devices and optical communication systems.
• Solid understanding of RF and microwave engineering concepts, including:
  • RF signal integrity
  • S-parameters
  • Impedance matching
  • High-speed modulation
  • Microwave photonics
• Experience with photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical, Ansys, Synopsys, Cadence, or equivalent.
• Programming experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with coherent optical communications.
• Familiarity with InP, Silicon Photonics, or heterogeneous integration platforms.
• Experience working with photonic foundries and advanced packaging technologies.
• Publications or patents in integrated photonics or optical communications.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with creativity and innovation. You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced R&D environment and passionate about solving complex challenges in photonics, RF, and high-speed system design.

Why Join Us?

• Work on breakthrough photonic technologies.
• Collaborate with leading experts in photonics and communications.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.
• Opportunity to make a direct impact on next-generation optical networking solutions

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

Nozipho Mbatha