Senior Photonics Packaging Engineer

Phanofi is a DTU spin-out building the next generation of optical communication infrastructure. We design integrated photonic interconnect chips that reduce power consumption and increase data throughput for AI datacenters, quantum computing, and space applications.

Getting photonic integrated circuits (PICs) out of the lab and into packaged, manufacturable modules is one of the hardest problems in our field, and often the one that decides whether a promising chip becomes a product. As a diverse team of 16, we are at an inflection point, growing our engineering capability to take our photonic interconnect technology from prototype toward scalable, production-ready products.

As Senior Photonics Packaging Engineer, you own that transition. You will work in tight collaboration with our electronic, R&D and photonic engineers and our CTO, with real influence over technical direction as we scale.

Key Responsibilities

You own the packaging of our PICs end to end: turning a functional die into a robust, manufacturable module. In practice that spans the optical interface (fiber attach, alignment and bonding), the electrical interface (from DC and control lines through to high-speed RF interconnect), and the substrate or interposer that ties them together, glass, silicon, ceramic or organic. Few people have worked on all of these in equal depth, and we don't expect you to have. We do expect you to understand how a choice in one area constrains the others, and to be able to reason through the trade-offs with us.

Alongside the builds, you'll advance our packaging methods from bench-level assembly toward repeatable, pilot-production-ready processes, characterise what you build yourself and use the results to debug and refine, and bring packaging constraints upstream into design reviews so that packageability and yield are designed in rather than fixed later. You'll also help establish engineering and characterisation processes that suit a small, fast-moving team today and still hold up as we grow.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience: 5+ years in photonics engineering with deep, hands-on expertise in advanced PIC packaging. Demonstrated ownership of at least one packaging technology from lab prototype toward pilot production is highly preferred.

• Technical Background: A strong engineering or scientific background in photonics, integrated optics or a related field, with genuine hands-on advanced PIC packaging experience. You should have a working understanding of the breadth of modern packaging, optical coupling and attach, high-speed RF and DC electrical interfaces, and interposer and substrate technologies, even where your own depth sits in one or two of them. Working knowledge of optical characterisation methods and instrumentation, and comfort interpreting the data yourself, is essential.

• Education: A master's or Ph.D. in Photonics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

• Nice to have: Photonic design or modelling experience, comfort running simulations to inform packaging trade-offs, reliability qualification experience, or experience working with external foundry, substrate or assembly partners.

• Collaboration & Communication: You are a clear communicator who can engage both engineering peers and leadership on technical trade-offs. You are comfortable operating with autonomy and thrive in a small, collaborative, fast-paced deep-tech environment.

We care about your long-term growth and well-being. We offer performance-based stock options, healthcare insurance, professional development support, and a positive culture with free snacks. You will also enjoy standard Danish benefits, including 5 weeks of paid holiday and maternity/paternity leave.

How To Apply

If you are interested in joining us on our entrepreneurial l journey, we encourage you to submit your CV and a cover letter.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Phanofi is committed to providing a workplace where equal opportunity and non-discrimination are fundamental principles. In accordance with Danish law and the European Union’s legal framework, Phanofi ensures that all employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, pay, promotion, training, and termination, are made without regard to gender, race, color, religion or belief, political affiliation, sexual orientation, age, disability, or national, social, or ethnic origin.