{"id":1238313,"url":"https://alion.io/job/salience-labs-photonics-characterisation-engineer","title":"Photonics Characterisation Engineer","company":{"id":2029320,"name":"Salience Labs","domain":"saliencelabs.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/saliencelabs","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Oxford, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":41000,"max_usd":97000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":259},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Agile","optional":false},{"name":"Jira","optional":false},{"name":"NumPy","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"SciPy","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-08T19:09:55Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-08","last_verified_at":"2026-09-27T23:08:52Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":19,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":19},"description":"The role\nWe are looking for a Photonic Characterisation Engineer to join our Photonics team and play a key role in the experimental characterisation of advanced integrated photonic devices.\nThis is a highly hands-on position where you will design and run experiments, operate optical test equipment, analyse measurement data and help turn experimental results into clear engineering insight. Your work will support teams across photonic design, manufacturing and system testing, helping ensure technical decisions are grounded in high-quality, repeatable data.\nYou will work across both die-level and wafer-level characterisation, combining practical laboratory work with Python-based data analysis and experimental automation. Over time, you will take increasing ownership of characterisation activities, from defining test approaches through to delivering results and communicating conclusions to stakeholders.\nThis role is particularly well suited to someone who enjoys being in the lab, working through difficult experimental problems and moving comfortably between optics, software and data.\nWhat you'll be doing\nDesign and execute experiments to characterise integrated photonic devices and structures\n\nOperate optical and photonic laboratory equipment across a range of measurement setups\n\nCarry out die-level and wafer-level testing\n\nAnalyse experimental data using Python and relevant scientific computing tools\n\nDevelop scripts and workflows to automate data collection and analysis\n\nTranslate experimental requirements into practical, repeatable test methodologies\n\nIdentify measurement issues, investigate unexpected results and troubleshoot experimental setups\n\nValidate data quality before results are used by wider engineering teams\n\nProduce clear technical reports, analysis and summaries from experimental work\n\nCollaborate closely with photonic design, manufacturing and system testing teams\n\nSupport the development and improvement of laboratory processes, test methods and automation\n\nTake ownership of characterisation tasks and provide realistic timelines for delivery\n\nAs you develop in the role, you will be expected to work increasingly independently, building new test methods where required and taking experiments from initial planning through execution, analysis and communication of results.\nWhat we're looking for\nAn MSc, PhD or equivalent practical experience in Physics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, or a closely related discipline\n\nA strong understanding of optics and photonics fundamentals\n\nHands-on experience designing and running experiments\n\nExperience working in an optics, photonics or similarly technical laboratory environment\n\nExperience analysing real-world experimental data using Python\n\nFamiliarity with scientific Python libraries such as NumPy, SciPy or pandas\n\nA practical understanding of experimental uncertainty, noisy data and measurement quality\n\nStrong fault-finding and troubleshooting skills\n\nThe ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering team\n\nStrong attention to detail and critical thinking\n\nClear written and verbal communication skills\n\nThe ability to present technical results clearly to different audiences\n\nYou should be comfortable spending a significant proportion of your time working physically in the laboratory. This is not primarily a theoretical or simulation-focused position.\nEven better if you have\nExperience working with photonic wafer-level test systems or probe stations\n\nExperience with integrated photonic devices and their characterisation\n\nExperience automating experimental setups or measurement equipment using Python\n\nFamiliarity with optical alignment, calibration and measurement techniques\n\nExperience with free-space optics\n\nKnowledge of photonic integrated circuit fabrication or semiconductor processes\n\nExperience developing reusable experimental or data-analysis tools\n\nPrevious experience in an R&D or product development environment\n\nExperience working in a startup or another environment where processes are still evolving\n\nFamiliarity with Agile ways of working, Jira or similar project-management tools\n\nExperience communicating the same technical results to both specialist and non-specialist audiences\n\nRelevant backgrounds might include photonics or optics R&D laboratories, integrated photonics research, experimental physics, electrical engineering, semiconductor development or related fields. The common thread is strong experimental judgement and the ability to turn physical measurements into trustworthy engineering conclusions.\nThis is an opportunity to work on genuinely challenging experimental problems in photonics while helping shape how characterisation is carried out as our engineering capability grows.\nYou will have access to advanced laboratory equipment, work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams and have meaningful ownership over both the experiments you run and how the wider characterisation capability develops.\nThe role is UK-based and predominantly on site, with a minimum of four days per week in the lab.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5136,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United Kingdom","iso":"GB","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Optical Communications","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-25T16:23:05Z"}],"liveness":{"score":63,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.627,"p_room":1,"age_days":18,"expected_fill_days":108,"reasons":["conf:10","urgency","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-09-27T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/salience-labs-photonics-characterisation-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/salience-labs-photonics-characterisation-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-28T02:53:54Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1755,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":3245,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z"}}}