PIC Optical Engineer

Overview

Enablence is seeking a senior Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Optical Engineer in Ottawa to lead the physics-based modelling, simulation, characterization and performance analysis of advanced photonic integrated circuits across silica, silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon photonics (SiPh) platforms. The role bridges fundamental optical design with experimental measurement, fabrication-process understanding and device optimization.

You will build and validate models that explain why a chip performs the way it does, and use simulation to answer questions about observed performance or hypothetical scenarios. You will turn your ideas into chip designs and guide our test technicians in measuring devices at a research level. Core devices include arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs), optical hybrids, polarization splitters and coherent detection chips.

You will choose the right simulation method for each problem and understand its limits. You will verify designs through testing.

Responsibilities

• Simulate PIC components and circuits with commercial tools (e.g. RSoft BeamPROP/FemSIM, Ansys Lumerical) and in-house Python code; automate parameter sweeps and optimization by scripting those tools from Python.
• Validate simulations through convergence checks, comparison with analytic or published results, and comparison with measured data.
• Explain measured chip performance (spectra, insertion loss, crosstalk, polarization dependence) through simulation, and link it to fabrication variables such as CD bias, core index and layer thickness.
• Design devices and test structures within Enablence's design environment, from simulation through mask layout (GDS).
• Define test plans and guide our test technicians: equipment setup, measurement procedure and data-quality review.
• Support work on silicon photonics and silicon nitride waveguides.
• Maintain and extend the existing simulation codebase and validation records.
• Write reports and present results to engineering, customers and management.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optics or Photonics, or M.Sc. with 4+ years of industrial integrated-photonics experience.
• Solid grounding in guided-wave optics: waveguide modes, coupled-mode theory, and diffraction and Fourier optics.
• Experience with inverse optical design.
• Hands-on experience with at least one commercial photonics simulation suite (RSoft, Lumerical, Optiwave or similar).
• Working knowledge of the main simulation methods and their drawbacks.
• Python for scientific computing and automation (NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib); experience scripting a commercial tool from Python is a strong plus.
• Validation discipline: convergence checks and benchmarking against analytic, published or measured results.
• Optical test background: tunable lasers, power meters, optical spectrum analysers, polarization control and fiber alignment; measuring insertion loss, PDL and spectral response.
• Understanding of measurement fundamentals: accuracy versus precision, repeatability, calibration and referencing, gauge R&R, uncertainty estimates, and how instrument limits (wavelength accuracy, power linearity, fiber-coupling variation) affect conclusions.
• Willingness to learn and work within an established design environment and flow.
• Clear technical writing and the ability to present results to designers, process engineers and non-specialists.

Preferred Qualifications

• AWG design experience.
• Silica-on-silicon PLC background.
• Mask layout experience (KLayout, gdspy, gdstk or a commercial layout tool), including scripted GDS generation.
• Open-source solvers (femwell, Meep, Tidy3D) for cross-checking commercial results.
• Software skills: strong familiarity with Git version control, Linux, Python, and building and managing Python virtual environments.
• Publications or patents in integrated optics.

Pay: $65,000.00-$153,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision care

Work Location: In person