Physicist/Scientist III – Photonics Simulation & Layout Engineer (Photonics)

Location: Santa Clara, California, United States; full-time onsite role with 10% travel. Relocation eligible: No.

Salary: $138,000–$190,000 per year.

Company

hirify.global develops materials science and engineering solutions for semiconductor chips, advanced displays, and next-generation electronics.

What you will do

• Define, develop, and evaluate photonic and optical technologies, including metasurface, integrated photonic, and inspection/metrology concepts for scalable quantum systems.
• Own electromagnetic simulation of nanophotonic, metasurface, and integrated photonic components, including convergence validation, parameter sweeps, and optical-loss analysis.
• Design thin-film optical stacks and translate optimized designs into fabrication-ready GDSII layouts with scripted or parameterized generation, DRC, and tape-out verification.
• Support mask data preparation and computational lithography activities, including OPC/RET, model calibration data, and verification.
• Correlate simulation results with metrology and optical test data, assess process variation, and develop design and process guidelines.
• Build Python/MATLAB data-processing and statistical-analysis pipelines, define experiments and DOE, troubleshoot technical issues, and present technical readouts.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, Materials Science and Engineering, or an equivalent field, completed by the start date.
• 0–2 years of post-Ph.D. experience.
• Ph.D. research in nanophotonic, metasurface, or integrated photonic device simulation and design.
• Hands-on experience with FDTD and/or RCWA simulation.
• Programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB for simulation automation and quantitative data analysis.
• Familiarity with GDS layout generation and scripting.
• Strong problem-solving and creative-thinking skills; a solid foundation in optics/photonics, electromagnetics, and semiconductor processing.
• Ability to work across computational and hands-on laboratory activities, communicate clearly in writing and verbally, solve complex problems, and support colleagues with less experience.

Nice to have

• Relevant industry internship experience.
• Cleanroom fabrication experience, including e-beam lithography or dry etching.
• Optical characterization and measurement-system experience.
• Experience with OPC/RET, mask data preparation, or DRC rule decks.
• Experience with active/passive PIC devices, wafer-level metrology, or quantum technology.
• Experience with Lumerical MODE/CHARGE, COMSOL Multiphysics, RF/electro-optic solvers, Cadence Virtuoso, Siemens Calibre, or Synopsys tools.

Culture & Benefits

• Supportive environment focused on learning, professional development, and innovative technical solutions.
• Comprehensive employee benefits supporting health and wellbeing, personal growth, and work-life needs.
• Full-time employment as a New College Grad position.
• Travel required 10% of the time.