Senior PIC Design Engineer: RF Design
Leuven
Belgium
Permanent
Photonics
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
Submit Your CV
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