Senior Photonics Engineer

Location: Montreal, Canada

Salary: $80,000 – $120,000 USD

Position Type: Full-Time (Must be a Permanent Resident of Canada; no visa sponsorship available)

About the Role

My client, an innovative high-growth hardware startup in Montreal, is looking for a Senior Photonics Engineer to serve as a key technical leader across their photonics design and test functions.

This is a high-impact, hands-on role for an experienced engineer who brings both deep simulation/design expertise and characterization skills. Reporting into leadership, the ideal candidate will guide photonics architecture, define test protocols, drive intellectual property (patents), and mentor junior engineers in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• PIC Architecture & Design: Lead the design, simulation, and layout of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) building blocks (splitters, filters, resonators, phase modulators) using Lumerical or equivalent tools.

• Test & Validation: Define test specs and characterization procedures for optical components and sensing hardware; evolve the electro-optical test architecture and data pipelines (Python, MATLAB, C++).

• IP Generation: Identify patentable inventions, draft technical disclosures, and support patent filings.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Guide technical trade-offs, direct component procurement, and mentor junior photonics and test engineers.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner closely with hardware and electronics teams to integrate optical and electronic subsystems.

Required Qualifications

• Education: B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics (Optics), or related field (M.Sc. or Ph.D. preferred).

• Experience: 5+ years of industry experience in integrated photonics or optoelectronics.

• Technical Depth: Expertise in PIC building blocks, micro-optical resonators, and optical simulation tools (Lumerical, COMSOL).

• Hands-On Skills: Demonstrated experience in assembling, characterizing, and processing signals for fiber-coupled and integrated optical devices.

• Innovation Track Record: Proven history of patents, publications, or key technical product milestones.

• Communication: Clear communication skills with a detail-oriented, meticulous approach to documentation and team guidance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience writing and filing utility patents (photonics or MEMS).

• Background in cleanroom fabrication, MEMS, or motion/inertial sensor technologies.

• Experience with photonic CAD layout.

• Prior experience thriving in a startup or agile team environment.

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

Hashim Akram