Senior Photonics Engineer (PICs)

The Company

Do you relish the challenge of being part of a growing business, a team, an industry, and seeing the energy you help generate? Are you at your best when contributing to a range of projects and collaborating across teams to help inform, direct and support those around you in solving the problems of the future?

Within CSA Catapult, we look beyond the status quo. We seek to employ people based on ability and attitude; we measure what you deliver and how you do it. We encourage collaboration in everything we do as we value the diversity of thought that we each bring to every challenge.

Who are we? The next wave of emerging technologies will have an enormous impact on our lives. 5G communications will enable a host of new and exciting applications such as connected autonomous vehicles and multimedia services. The challenge of net-zero to have clean, renewable energy and move from the internal combustion engine to electric cars. Compound semiconductor (CS) technologies will underpin many of these developments.

We are a Not for Profit organisation; here to help the UK economy grow, and we work across the UK with a range of industry sectors from automotive to medical, and from digital communications to aerospace. Through employing leading minds and investing in technology, we help turn ideas into reality, bridging the gap between concept and implementation.

CSA Catapult is committed to supporting and upholding diversity, equality, and inclusion in everything we do. A commitment to embrace and advocate for inclusion is an essential part of all roles.

The Position

Our Photonics team are looking for a Senior Engineer with strong PIC design and verification experience to join our growing department and develop innovative design solutions through collaborative R&D programmes and internal research projects.

The role is predominantly based at our new Bristol Telecoms Hub and there will be a requirement to travel to our Innovation Centre in Newport from time to time.

Requirements

• PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) design and validation experience in one or more of the following: Developing new and improved Photonics devices and circuits, including both passive and active photonic devices; Conducting R&D on PICs for quantum, sensing, and/or optical communications applications; On-chip component design, modelling, chip layout design, and chip driver design; Developing auto-controlled testbeds for verifying device and system performance.
• Competent in use of photonic design tools such as Lumerical, and/or Synopsys
• Competent in Layout design and DRC with coding.
• A passion to learn beyond PICs by applying your skills to photonics device validation and prototype development.
• Ideally holds a PhD or a Masters in Physics or Engineering with industry experience.
• Experience with working within small engineering teams and leading projects.
• Ability to quickly learn software and coding methods.
• Strong documentation and knowledge transfer capabilities.
• Ability to distil and communicate scientific information effectively.
• Independent problem solving, with an efficient and proactive attitude.

Other Information

• Up to £62,400 per annum (FTE)
• A non-contractual bonus scheme to allow everyone to share in our success
• Life Assurance – 4 times your annual salary
• Scottish Widows pension scheme – you put in 5% and we’ll put in 10%
• 28 days leave in addition to 8 bank holidays
• 37.5 hour full time working week
• A generous private medical insurance scheme for you and your family (enrolment once a year)
• A cashback scheme for your eye tests and dental treatment
• Payment for a professional membership each year
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working – we operate core hours of 10-4. The balance of your hours can be worked around what works for you
• Electric Vehicle and Cycle to work schemes