Silicon Photonics Senior Scientist - R&D (Silicon Photonics)

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Onsite presence is required Monday–Thursday, with remote work optionally available on Friday depending on business needs. Travel of up to 10% domestically and internationally is required, along with flexibility for late-evening meetings with Japan stakeholders.

Company

hirify.global is an automotive company developing innovative mobility solutions and conducting electronics research.

What you will do

• Finalize and commission an automated opto-mechatronic test bench for integrated photonics.
• Lead optical testing and characterization of photonic foundry tape-outs.
• Design, simulate, optimize, and experimentally validate integrated photonic and quantum-photonic components.
• Develop free-space optical components, including lenses and meta surfaces, and integrate them with camera sensor systems.
• Coordinate foundry vendors, electronic control integration, high-speed signals, chip-to-chip packaging, and design-rule checks.
• Publish research, communicate results to stakeholders and university partners, and track project timelines and laboratory materials.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in optical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, physics, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 4 years of hands-on experience designing and troubleshooting photonic lab benches involving optomechanical alignment, fiber array units, and mechatronic automation.
• Experience with integrated photonic design and simulation using FDTD solvers such as Lumerical or Tidy3D.
• Ability to use EDA tools and Python APIs for automated photonic integrated circuit analysis and design submission artwork.
• Understanding of photonic subsystem integration, quantum-photonics techniques, free-space optical systems, and ray-tracing solvers such as Zemax.
• Must have the right to work in the United States without current or future hirify.global immigration support or visa sponsorship.

Nice to have

• Experience with imaging meta surfaces or meta lenses, quantum magnetometry, ODMR, and camera-system integration.
• Experience with co-packaging silicon photonics and electronics, high-speed RF simulation, PDKs, or photonic design optimization.
• Experience applying AI-driven optimization methods, including neural networks or physics-informed neural networks.
• Strong analytical, presentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Culture & Benefits

• Team-oriented, flexible, and respectful work environment.
• Professional development programs and tuition reimbursement.
• Comprehensive healthcare and wellness plans, paid holidays, and paid time off.
• 401(k) plan with company match and annual retirement contribution.
• Vehicle purchase and lease programs, tax-advantaged accounts, family support services, and relocation assistance when applicable.