High Speed Design Engineer

Principal High Speed Photonics Design Engineer

Santa Clara, CA

Hybrid | Full-Time | Compensation: $250,000–$300,000 base salary

We are seeking a Principal High Speed Photonics Design Engineer to lead the development of next generation high speed optoelectronic devices for advanced photonic integrated circuits.

This is a hands on senior technical role focused specifically on the design, modeling, optimization, and validation of high speed optical modulators and photodetectors. The ideal candidate brings deep semiconductor device physics expertise and a demonstrated history of developing active photonic devices for high speed optical communication products.

The engineer will own device development from simulation and design through fabricated device characterization, design iteration, modeling, and integration into high-speed optical systems.

What You’ll Work On

• Lead the design and optimization of high speed III-V and/or SiGe optoelectronic devices, with emphasis on operation at 200 Gb/s and beyond
• Develop active optical components including electro-absorption modulators (EAMs), Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs/MZIs), PIN photodetectors, and/or UTC photodetectors
• Model electrical, optical, and RF device behavior including bandwidth, impedance, parasitics, capacitance, traveling-wave effects, and equivalent circuit performance
• Perform high-speed device simulation using tools such as HFSS, CST, ADS, Sentaurus TCAD, Crosslight, or comparable platforms
• Analyze fabricated device measurements and correlate experimental results against simulations to drive subsequent design iterations
• Develop compact and equivalent circuit models suitable for use by PIC designers and system engineers
• Partner with photonic layout and semiconductor process teams to translate device designs into mask layouts and manufacturable structures
• Collaborate with high speed systems, packaging, fabrication, reliability, and test engineering teams to validate device performance in integrated hardware
• Support RF and electro-optical characterization of high speed modulators and photodetectors
• Generate technical design documentation and contribute to patents and technical publications

What We’re Looking For

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, Photonics, or a closely related discipline
• 10+ years of industry experience developing high speed semiconductor optoelectronic devices
• Deep understanding of III-V and/or SiGe semiconductor device physics
• Demonstrated hands on design experience with high speed modulators and/or photodetectors
• Strong experience with devices such as EAMs, MZMs, PIN photodiodes, UTC photodiodes, or closely related high speed active photonic components
• Experience designing devices for optical transceivers, optical interconnects, or high-speed communication systems
• Experience taking device designs through simulation, fabrication, characterization, and design iteration
• Strong knowledge of RF behavior and high speed device characterization
• Experience with high-frequency simulation and device design tools such as HFSS, CST, ADS, Sentaurus TCAD, Crosslight, or equivalent
• Working knowledge of semiconductor fabrication processes and the interaction between device design and process technology
• Ability to work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams while remaining deeply hands on technically

Relevant Experience

Candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas will be especially relevant:

• III-V electro-absorption modulators
• III-V Mach-Zehnder modulators
• UTC or high-speed PIN photodetectors
• Heterogeneous III-V / silicon photonics integration
• 100G/200G-per-lane optical device development
• Traveling-wave electrodes and high-frequency device structures
• S-parameter and RF characterization of photonic devices
• Compact modeling or equivalent-circuit modeling of active photonic components
• Development of active devices that have progressed into commercial transceiver or optical-interconnect products

This position is best suited to an engineer whose career has centered on active high speed photonic device design and device physics.