Silicon Photonics Designer (AI Hardware)

Location: Full-time onsite in Austin, Texas, or Sunnyvale, California

Salary: $230,000–$280,000 per year plus equity

Company

hirify.global is an AI hardware startup developing silicon photonics and programmable metasurface technology for energy-efficient, high-performance AI inference.

What you will do

• Design, simulate, optimize, and characterize passive silicon photonic components, including edge couplers, grating couplers, directional couplers, waveguides, splitters, and polarization components.
• Run FDTD, EME, eigenmode, circuit-level, tolerance, and process-corner simulations using tools such as Ansys Lumerical and Synopsys Optsim.
• Develop PIC layouts and parametric design flows, generate DRC-clean GDS files, and complete DRC/LVS sign-off and mask data preparation.
• Own silicon photonics tapeout processes from concept through wafer receipt, measurement, and design iteration.
• Work directly with foundry process engineers and cross-functional VLSI, packaging, systems, and testing teams.
• Define DOE test-chip strategies and perform optical measurements to connect simulation results with fabricated-device performance.

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Physics, or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of hands-on silicon photonics design experience in industry, or equivalent graduate research experience with demonstrated tapeout and measurement work.
• Expertise in passive silicon photonic components on SOI platforms, including couplers, waveguides, and splitters.
• Experience with photonic simulation, PIC layout, Python or MATLAB automation, and GDS generation using tools such as Ansys Lumerical, Cadence Virtuoso, KLayout, GDSFactory, or IPKISS.
• Experience with a commercial silicon photonics foundry PDK and tapeout flow, including DRC/LVS sign-off, OPC coordination, and wafer-shuttle management.
• Hands-on optical measurement experience and knowledge of high-speed optoelectronics, coherent PIC elements, datacom or coherent transceiver architectures, and optical packaging.

Nice to have

• Experience with SiN photonics, co-packaged optics, flip-chip or die bonding, heterogeneous integration, and automated wafer- or die-level measurement stations.
• Publications, patents, or conference presentations demonstrating silicon photonics design contributions.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative work with experienced teams across photonics, AI hardware, VLSI, packaging, systems, and testing.
• 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for employees and dependents, plus HSA contributions.
• Unlimited paid time off.
• 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities.
• Dental, vision, life, hospital, critical illness, and accident insurance options.