Senior Engineer (Photonic Integrated Circuits)

Location: Stuttgart, Germany; onsite with a maximum of 1 remote day per week

Company

hirify.global develops photonic processing systems that compute with light as a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to transistor-based architectures for AI and high-performance computing.

What you will do

• Design, prototype, validate, and optimize photonic integrated circuit components from concept and layout through tape-out, fabrication, packaging, and production-ready integration.
• Develop fiber-to-chip coupling solutions, including mode matching, loss-budget optimization, and packaging integration.
• Implement photonic computing architectures and propose new components and integration strategies for the technology roadmap.
• Coordinate design, development, integration, testing, packaging, and foundry activities across cross-functional teams.
• Collect stakeholder specifications and translate them into circuit definitions and design deliverables.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians and present technical findings to engineering and executive stakeholders.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• At least 3 years of hands-on experience in photonic design, layout, and tape-out coordination.
• Expertise in fiber-to-chip coupling interfaces, mode matching, packaging constraints, and loss-budget management.
• Advanced proficiency with photonic simulation tools such as Lumerical/Ansys, RSoft, or Photon Design Suite.
• Experience with PIC layout tools such as Nazca, GDSFactory, or Luceda, plus advanced Python skills for automation, simulation scripting, and data analysis.
• Fluent English is required; German is beneficial. The working language is English.

Nice to have

• Experimental experience with TFLN or LNOI.
• Understanding of AI or high-speed optical communication requirements for PICs.
• Knowledge of mixed-signal and photonic/electronic co-packaging challenges.
• Experience with foundry collaboration and process transfer to external manufacturing partners.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on photonic integrated circuit technologies for next-generation computing.
• Own characterization strategies, integration workflows, and roadmap inputs.
• Collaborate with an international, cross-functional team in photonics, electronics, and packaging.
• Work directly with company founders and senior leadership.
• Contribute to an environment focused on technical excellence, open communication, and pragmatic problem-solving.