Silicon Photonic IC (PIC) Design Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a highly skilled Silicon Photonic IC Design Engineer to play a key role in the design and physical layout of advanced Silicon Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) that interface directly with custom ASICs built on leading-edge semiconductor process nodes. This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of photonics, analog, and digital design - helping to define and deliver next-generation optical and electronic systems.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and physical layout of complex Silicon Photonic ICs (PICs) that connect directly with advanced ASICs.
• Participate in all stages of PIC delivery - from floor planning and block placement to micro-architecture, optical/electrical routing , and back-end verification (DRC/LVS).
• Collaborate with analog, digital, and packaging teams to ensure optimal design outcomes that meet requirements for opto-electronic performance , signal integrity (SI) , and power integrity (PI) .
• Work closely with other photonics engineers to refine layout methodologies , improve design automation, and enhance existing software-based verification and layout flows .

Requirements

• Specialized Skills
• Strong understanding of photonics fundamentals and core engineering design principles .
• Hands-on experience with Silicon Photonics Process Design Kits (PDKs) and best practices for designing and laying out photonic components, subsystems, and complete PICs.
• Proficiency with physical design tools such as Cadence, Siemens Mentor, or Klayout , including scripting and automation using SKILL or Python .
• Familiarity with layout verification tools (e.g., Calibre, Pegasus) for DRC, ERC, and LVS checks.
• Experience with SI and PI-aware electrical routing for mixed-signal and digital designs is a strong advantage.
• Education
• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field with a focus on integrated photonics or optical device design.
• Preferred Attributes
• Highly self-motivated with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Creative thinker with strong attention to detail.
• Thrives in a collaborative and fast-paced environment .
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills .
• California Pay Range
• $185,000 - $225,000 USD

Benefits

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Company Intel

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