Principal Microwave Engineer

Own the full RFIC design cycle - from mm-wave architecture to tapeout - for the high-frequency electronic subsystems driving our FM comb laser platform. Work directly with the PIC team on opto-RF co-design and lead the packaging strategy for our photonic modules. This is a senior individual-contributor role with full technical ownership at the hardware heart of Aylight.

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related discipline; MSc with strong industrial track record considered
• Minimum 5 years of IC design experience at 30 GHz and above, with demonstrated tapeouts at 100 GHz or above
• Hands-on expertise in InP HBT, GaAs HBT/pHEMT, or SiGe BiCMOS process
• Strong mm-wave circuit design: oscillators, tuned amplifiers, transmission-line matching, passive and active topologies
• EM simulation (HFSS, Momentum, Sonnet) and RF/mm-wave circuit simulation (ADS, Virtuoso)
• mm-wave on-wafer characterisation - VNA, spectrum analyser, phase noise measurement
• Understanding of RF packaging at mm-wave frequencies: bond transitions, parasitic management, thermal constraints
• High-speed electro-optic modulator (EAM/MZM) or photodetector design in III-V or silicon photonic platforms
• Experience with InP monolithic PIC platforms and foundry PDKs
• Experience with opto-RF co-packaging and electro-optic bandwidth limitations
• Background in optical frequency combs, WDM systems, or coherent optical interconnects
• Experience with heterogeneous or hybrid electronics-photonics integration

• Founding-team-adjacent role with direct impact on core hardware architecture
• Competitive salary benchmarked to Zurich deep-tech and semiconductor industry standards, with meaningful equity participation
• World-class lab infrastructure and collaboration with leading photonics research groups in Zurich
• Small team, zero bureaucracy - full ownership of your domain from day one
• Office in central Zurich - Europe's deep-tech capital