Senior High-Speed Photonic Design Engineer
TaaraJob Title
Senior High-Speed Photonic Design Engineer
Role Summary
Taara is hiring a Senior High-Speed Photonic Design Engineer to develop next-generation photonic and electronic integrated modules for free-space optical communication systems. The role focuses on transmitter/receiver architecture, high-speed modulators and detectors, and RF/microwave transmission-line design within photonic integrated circuits (PICs).
Work within a small R&D team to translate system requirements into foundry-ready PIC layouts, support tapeouts, and validate designs through simulation and lab characterization.
Experience Level
Senior - typically requires five (5) or more years of relevant industry experience and demonstrated ownership of commercial foundry tapeouts.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
- Define and own photonic transmitter and receiver architecture for PIC-based links.
- Design high-speed photonic modulators and detectors and associated RF/microwave transmission lines (35–70 GHz).
- Develop and validate system-level optical link budgets and modulation-format implementations.
- Produce foundry-ready PIC layouts and lead multiple commercial tapeouts.
- Perform device and optical-link simulations and iterate designs to meet performance targets.
- Collaborate with systems, firmware, and test teams for module integration and verification.
- Prepare documentation, test plans, and support lab characterization and debugging.
Requirements
Required skills and experience:
- Five (5)+ years of relevant industry experience in photonic circuit design.
- Proven achievements in high-speed photonic modulator and detector design.
- Extensive RF/microwave design experience and layout ownership at 35–70 GHz.
- Deep understanding of optical modulation formats and photonic link modeling.
- Experience with RF/microwave tools such as HFSS, ADS, or equivalent.
- Experience with photonic device simulation tools (Lumerical or equivalent) and optical-link simulation (VPIphotonics, Lumerical Interconnect, or equivalent).
- Hands-on experience with multiple commercial foundry tapeouts.
Nice-to-have:
- Photonic spectral filter design experience.
- Experience with Python, Git, and gdsfactory.
- Experience with DRC/LVS and layout verification tools (Calibre or equivalent).
- Productization experience and strong communication skills for working with senior external partners.
Education Requirements
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, or a related field required.
About the Company
Company: Taara
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Born at X, Google's Moonshot Factory, Taara develops wireless optical communication systems and photonics chip technologies to deliver high-speed, affordable internet to underserved regions worldwide.
