Senior PIC Designer

Job Description

Job Title: Senior PIC Designer. Location: Palo Alto, California, United States

Responsibilities:

• Lead the architecture and design of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for optical switching systems from concept to tape-out.
• Design and optimize photonic components such as phase shifters, couplers, waveguides, crossings, heaters, and monitors.
• Translate system-level requirements into manufacturable photonic layouts;
• Develop and maintain photonic design flows and automation scripts.
• Work closely with device, electronics, packaging, test, manufacturing, and systems teams to ensure full performance alignment.
• Support foundry collaboration and manage tape-out execution.
• Analyze measurement data from fabricated PICs and drive design improvements, yield optimization, and performance validation.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of post-PhD experience in PIC design.
• Strong hands-on experience with Lumerical or equivalent photonic simulation tools.
• Proven experience in system-level PIC architecture, not only individual component design;
• Deep understanding of optical switching architectures, loss mechanisms, thermal tuning, and scalability challenges.
• Strong programming skills in Python for design automation and data analysis.
• Experience working in cross-functional engineering environments.
• Ability to connect simulation, fabrication, and experimental measurement for continuous design improvement.

Benefits and Compensation:

• U.S. base salary range: $160,000 to $180,000 USD.
• Bay Area base salary range: $183,000 to $200,000 USD.
• Actual compensation may vary based on education, training, experience, competencies, geographic location, and business needs.
• Full-time employees are eligible for equity and benefits.
• Base pay is one part of the total compensation package and may change in the future.

Other Information: PsiQuantum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on protected characteristics under applicable law. The company will only contact candidates through official PsiQuantum email addresses and will never request bank account information during the interview process. Suspicious activity should be reported to recruiting@psiquantum.com. Unsolicited resumes from employment agencies are not accepted. Applicants must submit required fields including resume or CV and cover letter in accepted formats such as pdf, doc, docx, txt, or rtf. Candidates are required to include the word "purple" in their submitted cover letter.