{"id":2837224,"url":"https://alion.io/job/azora-integrated-photonics-engineer","title":"Integrated Photonics Engineer","company":{"id":4396803,"name":"Azora","domain":"azora.space","url":"https://alion.io/company/azora-3","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Deel","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":5,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"}},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"middle","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":98000,"max_usd":205000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":33},"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"KLayout","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-31T16:23:18Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-09","last_verified_at":"2026-10-26T06:48:17Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":55,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":55},"description":"Role\nDevelop the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology at the heart of Azora's high-sensitivity optical transceivers. You will design, simulate, and characterize integrated photonic devices and modules; shepherding them from foundry tape-out through packaging and system integration.\nResponsibilities\nDesign and simulate integrated photonic components and circuits: waveguides, couplers, 90° hybrids, MZI modulators, phase shifters, photodetector interfaces, and on-chip filters.\n\nOwn foundry tape-outs on silicon photonics, SiN, or InP platforms, including DRC, layout, and process design kit (PDK) workflows.\n\nDevelop test plans and carry out wafer- and chip-level characterization: insertion loss, polarization behavior, bandwidth, responsivity, and phase noise.\n\nWork with packaging partners on fiber attach, hermetic packaging, and co-packaging with electronics for space environments.\n\nIntegrate PICs into coherent and photon-counting receiver chains and validate end-to-end sensitivity against quantum-limit targets.\n\nAssess radiation tolerance and thermal behavior of photonic devices for flight applications.\n\nCollaborate with mixed-signal and FPGA engineers on driver/TIA interfaces and DSP requirements.\n\nRequired Qualifications\nMS/PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field (or equivalent industry experience).\n\n3+ years of hands-on PIC design and characterization experience.\n\nProficiency with photonic simulation and layout tools (Lumerical, Synopsys, KLayout, IPKISS, or similar).\n\nExperience with at least one commercial foundry PDK and tape-out cycle.\n\nStrong lab skills: fiber alignment, RF probing, optical test instrumentation (OSA, LCA, tunable lasers).\n\nPreferred\nExperience with coherent optical communications (DP-QPSK/QAM, DSP-based receivers) and/or photon-counting detection.\n\nFamiliarity with free-space-to-chip coupling, optical phased arrays, or integrated beam steering.\n\nKnowledge of space qualification of photonic components (radiation, TVAC, vibration).\n\nExperience with hybrid integration (III-V on Si, micro-transfer printing) or co-packaged optics.\n\nLocation\nThis is an onsite/hybrid role based in Tempe, AZ or the Bay Area, CA - hardware work that’s hard to do remotely. Some travel expected for field deployment and vendor/manufacturing visits.\nBenefits:\nGenerous equity\n\nCompetitive healthcare (including options for vision and dental)\n\n401(k)\n\nUnlimited PTO\n\nEEO & Reasonable Accommodations\nAzora is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. \n\nIf you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know by contacting \n\nExport Control\nTo conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (iii) protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or (iv) be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.\nSalary ranges are based on the following criteria:\nFinal salary is based on geographic location, experience, skills, and qualifications.\n\nAbout this Company\nAzora is building high-bandwidth communications infrastructure for environments where fiber can’t reach. This work spans LEO spacecraft constellations, lunar exploration missions, GEO satcom, deployable optical ground for defense, and data centers both on- and off-world. To enable rapid global proliferation Azora is developing compact and modular optical terminals small enough to deploy from a backpack, and space terminals that support high speed optical links from LEO out to the Moon.","description_format":"text","description_chars":3638,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":3,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Unlimited PTO"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Optical Communications"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-19T07:23:25Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":25,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.548,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":55,"expected_fill_days":30,"reasons":["conf:3","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/azora-integrated-photonics-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/azora-integrated-photonics-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-26T09:25:00Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":12701,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":4396803},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=4396803"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fazora-integrated-photonics-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fazora-integrated-photonics-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fazora-integrated-photonics-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/azora-integrated-photonics-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fazora-integrated-photonics-engineer"}]}