{"id":3111309,"url":"https://alion.io/job/coherent-principal-photonics-design-engineer","title":"Principal Photonics Design Engineer","company":{"id":58506,"name":"Coherent","domain":"coherent.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/coherent-com","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Oracle","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":85,"open_postings":38,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.789,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":3,"computed_at":"2026-10-24T06:02:35Z"}},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Fremont, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-22T18:20:54Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-22","last_verified_at":"2026-10-24T21:01:19Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"Primary Duties & Responsibilities\nDevelop new photonic device and PIC concepts for next-generation optical interconnects and high-speed communication systems.\nDesign and optimize high-speed photonic components and subsystems, with applications targeting technologies such as 400G-per-lane links and co-packaged optics.\nWork on the interaction between photonic devices and their electrical/RF interfaces, including high-speed modulators, photodetectors, transmission lines, electrodes, and interconnects.\nDevelop WDM building blocks and architectures, including wavelength filters, multiplexers/demultiplexers, resonant devices, and other wavelength-selective components.\nTranslate system-level requirements into practical photonic device and circuit specifications.\nEvaluate design tradeoffs involving bandwidth, optical loss, power consumption, footprint, manufacturability, and scalability.\nUse optical, electromagnetic, and RF simulation tools to model and optimize device performance.\nDevelop and tape out complex PICs using foundry PDKs and established silicon photonics design flows.\nWork with foundry and fabrication teams to understand process limitations and incorporate manufacturing considerations into device designs.\nSupport experimental characterization and use measurement results to improve future designs.\nCollaborate with electrical and packaging engineers on advanced optical-electrical integration and packaging challenges.\nContribute to the development of new design methodologies, simulation workflows, and reusable photonic building blocks.\nHelp identify and explore new device concepts and technologies that can enable future generations of optical interconnects.\nEducation & Experience\nPhD or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Physics, Optics, or a related field.\nSignificant experience in integrated photonics or silicon photonics design and development.\nExperience designing high-speed electro-optic devices and their associated RF structures.\nExperience with electromagnetic and RF simulation tools such as HFSS, CST, ADS, or similar.\nExperience with photonic simulation and design tools such as Lumerical, Tidy3D, RSoft, or equivalent.\nExperience designing WDM components or wavelength-selective photonic circuits.\nExperience taking PIC designs through layout and tapeout using foundry PDKs.\nSkills\nStrong understanding of photonic device physics and PIC design.\nGood understanding of RF and electromagnetic effects in high-speed photonic devices, including transmission lines, impedance matching, parasitics, and bandwidth limitations.\nFamiliarity with advanced optical communication architectures and the technology challenges associated with scaling data rates and integration density.\nProgramming experience in Python or similar languages for simulation, automation, or data analysis.\nStrong problem-solving skills and the ability to work across device, circuit, and system-level challenges.\nNice to have\nExperience with co-packaged optics or advanced optical interconnect architectures.\nExperience developing technologies targeting 400G-per-lane or other ultra-high-speed optical links.\nUnderstanding of semiconductor fabrication processes and how process variations impact photonic device performance.\nExperience working directly with photonic foundries or process development teams.\nExperience with high-speed optical packaging and electrical-photonic integration.\nExperience developing new technologies from early concept through prototype demonstration and product development.\nWorking Conditions\nThis position is hybrid \nMay require occasional off-site meetings or travel\nRegular use of a computer and other office equipment is necessary\nInteraction with team members and external contacts is a regular part of the job\nMay require occasional overtime and flexibility in work hours to accommodate the executive’s needs\nPhysical Requirements\nSitting for extended periods while working on a computer or conducting meetings.\nUse of hands and fingers for typing, writing, and handling documents.\nOccasional lifting of objects or materials up to 20 pounds for administrative tasks.\nAbility to communicate verbally and in writing.\nMobility within the office environment to attend meetings or interact with colleagues\nSafety Requirements\nAll employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.\nQuality and Environmental Responsibilities\nDepending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.\nCulture Commitment\nEnsure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:\nIntegrity - Create an Environment of Trust\nCollaboration - Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas\nAccountability - Own the Process and the Outcome\nRespect - Recognize the Value in Everyone\nEnthusiasm - Find a Sense of Purpose in Work\nCoherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.\nIf you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at .","description_format":"text","description_chars":5519,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Optical Communications","Lasers & Laser Systems","Semiconductor Manufacturing","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-22T20:47:40Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":55,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.609,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":3,"reasons":["conf:3","stale_co","velocity","win:mid","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-24T06:02:35Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/coherent-principal-photonics-design-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/coherent-principal-photonics-design-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-25T01:56:53Z","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":2893,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-26T00:00:00Z"}},"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":58506},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=58506"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fcoherent-principal-photonics-design-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%2Fcoherent-principal-photonics-design-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%2Fcoherent-principal-photonics-design-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/coherent-principal-photonics-design-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fcoherent-principal-photonics-design-engineer"}]}