Senior Photonics / Optical Switching Engineer

We are looking for an experienced Photonics Engineer to develop next-generation optical switching technology for high-speed communication applications.

You will work across photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design, optical switching architectures and high-speed electronics, helping translate market requirements into technical solutions and taking new concepts from design through prototyping and demonstration.

Key Responsibilities

Market & Application Understanding

• Understand market requirements for optical switching and the architectures needed to address them.

• Work with business development to translate application needs into technical requirements.

• Contribute to the ongoing development and evolution of the photonics platform.

Architecture & Circuit Design

• Develop innovative optical circuit switches and switching architectures.

• Design supporting control circuits to address high-speed switching challenges.

• Analyse switching performance, including speed, insertion loss, crosstalk and scalability.

• Develop control-loop strategies, including bias control and calibration, to ensure fast and stable switching.

Prototyping & Demonstration

• Design PIC optical circuits for switching demonstrators.

• Specify high-speed control electronics required to drive and stabilise optical switches.

• Build prototypes, test performance and present results to internal and external stakeholders.

• Document designs, results and performance trends to support further platform development.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics or a related discipline.

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in photonics or high-speed integrated systems.

• Experience with silicon photonics platforms, such as SOI or SiN.

• Practical experience in PIC design and integrated photonic circuit layout.

• Proficiency in photonic and waveguide simulation tools.

• Understanding of high-speed electronics, control loops and feedback theory.

• Strong understanding of optical switching architectures and performance considerations.

• Comfortable working across optical, electronic and system-level engineering.

• Strong communication skills and fluency in English.

• Able to work independently in a fast-paced R&D environment.

Desirable experience:

• Optical switching architectures.

• RF and microwave design.

• System-level modelling of communication or switching networks.

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

Jessica Scott