PIC Architect

PIC Architect Category Chip  Design Location San  Jose, CA Experience

More than 8 Years Work Expe.

Job Description PIC Architect to drive device- and PIC-level investigation, architecture, simulation and characterization of next-generation photonic integrated circuits, focused mainly on data center interconnect applications. A central focus of this role is technology pathfinding — identifying, evaluating, and maturing next-generation photonics technology, including silicon photonics (SiPh) and beyond. The role requires deep expertise across SiPh device physics, design and simulation, process technology integration, 3D heterogeneous integration (3

DHI) of new materials, and optical test, to bring PIC architecture from concept through Prototype. Essential Responsibilities
• Lead technology pathfinding for next-generation photonics platforms, including silicon photonics (SiPh) and beyond, assessing emerging materials, device architectures, and integration approaches for future product roadmaps.
• Define device- and PIC-level architecture for silicon photonics products, balancing performance, power, area, cost, and manufacturability.
• Partner with foundries, process integration, and packaging teams to ensure architectures are robust, manufacturable, and cost-effective in production.
• Support design-for-test, optical test, and design-for-reliability efforts, including test structure definition, characterization planning, and qualification support.
• Participate in DOE or prototype characterization, silicon debug, and yield/failure analysis, feeding learnings back into device and PIC architecture.
• Drive development projects involving multiple external partners, including suppliers, universities, and R&D consortia, applying strong communication and leadership skills.

Main Requirements and Qualifications
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Physics, Materials Science, Optics, or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience, or MS with 10+ years of relevant experience, in the photonics and/or semiconductor industry.
• In-depth passive/active photonics design expertise, including couplers, modulators, detectors, PRS, MUX/DEMUX.
• Strong device- and PIC-level simulation capability, familiar with common device and circuit simulation tools, including Lumerical, Cadence Spectre, HFSS, ADS, or equivalent.
• Manufacturing fluency, including understanding of foundry processes, process variation, yield considerations, and design-for-manufacturability.
• Participation in one or more successfully deployed commercial chip designs at scale, from design through production release.
• Understanding of the interaction among device design, process integration, packaging, and test coverage.

Preferred Qualifications
• Working knowledge of advanced modulation materials and platforms, such as BTO, TFLN, EO polymer, InP, and III-V on Si, etc.
• Experience with laser, VCSEL, or µLED technology, including device design, integration, or co-packaging with photonic platforms.
• Experience with pluggable modules, co-packaged optics, NPO, optical I/O, or other forms of datacenter optical interconnects, or other high-volume photonics applications.
• Experience with photonic/electronic co-design, including integration with CMOS drivers, TIAs, DSP, and control loops.
• Experience working across internal design teams and external foundry ecosystems in development and production phases.
• Exposure to design-for-test, optical test, and design-for-reliability methodologies for photonic ICs.Salary range: $211,000 - $356,000 annually.

Employee may be eligible for performance bonus, short and long term incentive programs. Actual total compensation will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience and qualifications. In…