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PIC Designer

Job type: Full Time · Department: Engineering · Work type: Hybrid · USD 165,000-240,000 / half-month

Santa Clara, California, United States; Goleta, California, United States

The Role

As a PIC Designer, you will be part of the PIC Architecture team, owning and supporting the development of OpenLight PICs that are built on heterogeneous III-V and silicon photonics platforms. This role bridges design, test, operations, and reliability to ensure successful development, qualification, and release, and is sure to grow and deepen your technical skills in photonics, as well as your product development capacities. 

What You Will Do

  • Own engineering activities across prototype and development stages for PIC based optical products 

  • Support design and layout reviews for PICs, ensuring adherence to design rules and manufacturability 

  • Perform data analysis on device and system-level measurements to evaluate performance trends and variability 

  • Drive debug, root cause analysis, and performance optimization across process and design variations 

  • Interface with test engineering teams to define test plans, requirements, and measurement methodologies for PICs 

  • Interface with the system engineering team to provide thermal model, support EVT\DVT test and support PIC system test 

  • Generate, maintain, and update: 

  • Design documentation 

  • Test reports and characterization summaries 

  • Product datasheets 

  • Make sure PIC performance meets specifications and compliance requirements 

  • Collaborate with operations and reliability teams to support qualification, yield improvement, and product release for PICs 

Your Background Includes

  • M.S. or Ph.D. in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field 

  • 1–2 years minimum of relevant industry or research experience in photonics or semiconductor devices 

  • Detail oriented with strong documentation discipline 

  • Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment 

  • Ability to interpret large datasets and extract actionable insights 

  • Good understanding of optical components and systems, including lasers (e.g., DFB), modulators (e.g., EAM), photodetectors, and silicon photonics platforms 

  • Proficient in data analysis tools like JMP and Python (NumPy, Pandas, plotting) 

  • Experience working with test data analysis, characterization, and statistical evaluation 

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 

  • Effective cross-functional communication skills 

About OpenLight

 OpenLight is growing as customer adoption and industry momentum continue to accelerate.  The rapid growth of AI and cloud infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for faster, more energy-efficient optical connectivity. We are addressing this challenge through a platform approach that simplifies the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and accelerates industry adoption. 

As part of our team, you will contribute to technologies that enable AI and hyperscale data centers, high-speed optical communications, advanced sensing applications, next-generation photonic integration, and more.   Our team is collaborative and fast-moving, and you will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions across technology, operations, and business growth.

If you are excited about solving challenging problems, advancing cutting-edge technology, and working with a highly collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.

Explore our current opportunities, contact us at careers@openlightphotonics.com, and follow us on LinkedIn.

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