Photonic IC Design Engineer, Chip-to-System Integration

K2 is at the forefront of satellite technology, developing the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, with significant funding and contracts from both commercial and government sectors. The company aims to revolutionize spacecraft design to meet the demands of a new era in space exploration, focusing on high-performance satellites capable of operating across various orbits. K2 is seeking motivated individuals to join their team as they scale operations and launch multiple satellites in the coming years.

Responsibilities:

• Design, simulate, and lay out photonic integrated circuits (PICs) from specification to tapeout.
• Develop high-speed modulators and co-design them with RF and ASIC engineers.
• Implement bias and tuning control in hardware, ensuring functionality over temperature and radiation.
• Set optical I/O requirements and integrate them into the chip design and system link budget.
• Design mechanical packages using 3D CAD, ensuring alignment and assembly tolerances.
• Lead radiation, thermal-vacuum, and vibration qualification tests for photonic devices and packages.
• Collaborate with the photonics test and automation team to define test plans and metrics, and validate automated measurements.
• Manage high-speed electrical paths through the package and present designs at design reviews.

Qualifications:

• PhD or MS in electrical engineering, optics, physics, or a related field, or a Bachelor's degree with equivalent experience.
• Experience with PIC designs taken through tapeout on commercial integrated photonics platforms.
• Hands-on experience at the chip boundary, including optical I/O design and high-speed modulator design.
• Proficiency in photonic device simulation and layout tools, as well as Python for automation.

Skills:

• 3D mechanical CAD proficiency for package design.
• Experience with radiation, thermal-vacuum, or vibration testing of devices.
• Knowledge of inverse design or topology optimization for optical devices.
• Familiarity with RF package or board design up to tens of GHz.
• Experience with hardware built for space or harsh environments.