Silicon Photonics Design Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live today Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Palo Alto, CARedmond, WA
Salary: $135,000–$175,000 / yr
Posted: 12 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live today
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $195k

This role $155k

$122k $260k

below market most similar roles pay here above market

This role pays less than 78% of similar roles. Most pay $162,000–$227,500 — the blue band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $155k versus about $195k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 851 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 590 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Silicon Photonics Design Engineer

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The Silicon Photonics Design Engineer (RFIC Engineering) joins a cross-disciplinary team to develop next-generation photonic integrated circuits for space and ground infrastructures. The role involves designing, analyzing, and simulating optical building blocks like MZM, Microring modulators, Ge Photo diodes, dWDM filters, waveguides, couplers, dividers, and polarization management circuitry. Key responsibilities include deriving specifications for Photonics IC systems, modeling package optical interfaces, performing IC floor planning and layout, and characterizing high-speed optical link solutions. Candidates must utilize simulation tools such as Lumerical, COMSOL, and HFSS, while applying knowledge of RF, Analog, and mixed-signal circuits. The work focuses on enabling high-speed connectivity through wideband circuit designs supporting SerDes links with data rates exceeding 100Gbps and bandwidths exceeding tens of GHz for the Starlink network.

Skills

Silicon Photonics PIC RFIC Lumerical COMSOL HFSS Spectre ADS SerDes PAM4 NRZ MZM Microring Modulators InGaAs InP CTLE Spectrum Analyzers Vector Signal Analyzers High Speed Oscilloscopes BERT Floor Planning

What you'll do

Design, analyze, and simulate optical building blocks like modulators, photodiodes, and waveguides.
Derive technical specifications for Photonics IC systems and circuits.
Design and model package optical interfaces, including edge and grating couplers.
Perform IC floor planning and layout for integrated platforms.
Evaluate, characterize, and measure electrical and optical building blocks of high-speed links.
Assist in developing automated test lab equipment for measurements.
Work with manufacturing engineers on production testing and qualification of PIC circuits.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science.
2+ years of photonics or electro-optical integrated circuit design.
Experience using simulation tools such as Lumerical, COMSOL, and HFSS.
Master's degree or PhD in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or applied physics (preferred).
Experience using electrical simulation tools such as Spectre or ADS (preferred).
Knowledge of advanced packaging for co-package optics (CPO) solutions (preferred).
Electrical circuit design skills and experience with high bandwidth modulator drivers, TIAs, CTLEs, and filters (preferred).
U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible for Department of State authorization.