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 Photonics is an innovative start-up at the forefront of photonic integration, commercializing our cutting-edge heterogeneously integrated silicon photonics platform. OpenLight has a PDK that supports customers designing Photonic ASICs (PASICs) for applications in communications, LIDAR, quantum computing, sensing, and more. OpenLight has over 300 patents covering the integration of many different active and passive components, such as tunable lasers, DFBs, SOAs, modulators, switches, filters, and detectors, onto a single, silicon photonics chip. Join us in an exciting start-up environment with ample opportunities for growth and professional development.

We continue with a hybrid schedule, with a standard of three days/week in office; you select the days you're in, based on what's best for your work priorities.

OpenLight's salary for technical roles is dependent on the skills and experience of the individual, their primary work location, and other parameters; annual salary will generally be somewhere between $130,000-$230,000. In addition to cash compensation, OpenLight offers incentive stock options (ISOs), generous insurance support, 401k matching, unlimited vacation, spot bonuses, and a positive work environment. 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.