2023-07-31T16:50:16-04:00 X, The Moonshot Factory
Senior Photonics Design Engineer (Project Taara)
Hardware Engineering
Mountain View, CA

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup.

About the Team:

Project Taara is focused on delivering high-throughput and long-range connectivity via free-space optical communication (FSOC) links that use light (eye-safe lasers) propagating between two terminals to wirelessly transmit high speed data. The Taara Project is seeking a Senior Photonics Design Engineer working on next generation photonics integrated circuit design and layout as part of the R&D team developing cutting-edge wireless optical communication systems.  

About the Role:

The successful candidate is responsible for photonics integrated circuit design and layout. The role requires deep knowledge in photonics integrated circuit design, simulation, optimization and testing. The position seeks highly-motivated individuals who thrive in ambiguity and enjoy working in a small dynamic team environment, with a passion for solving challenging problems that can lead to high-impact advances in technology. 

How you will make 10x impact:

  • Develop, in collaboration with others, new photonics components, their large-scale integration into complex photonics circuits, and their integration with microelectronics
  • Manage complexity and optimize large-scale layouts in advanced wafer platforms
  • Contribute to system-level optimization, packaging and assembly strategy
  • Contribute to managing key fabrication, test, and packaging partners for manufacturing of complex photonics assemblies integrated with electronics and thermal management
  • Be motivated by making the world a better place through technology, and wanting to be part of a team that makes this happen

What you should have:

  • M.S. in Silicon Photonics, Electrical Engineering or related field
  • Five (5) or more years relevant industry experience of photonics integrated circuit design
  • Experience with Si photonics simulation software (Lumerical or equivalent) 
  • Experience with optimization of photonics components towards manufacturability
  • Experience working with wafer foundries, including product design kits, design rule checks, and tape-outs procedures
  • Experience with photonics and semiconductor layout tools (GDSfactory, Cadence Virtuoso, or equivalent)

It would be great if you also had these:

  • Ph.D. in Silicon Photonics
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills (writing strategy docs, writing and delivering presentations), can work with senior external partners with ease
  • Hands-on experience in advancing product from prototype to final production stage
  • Experience with RF design and corresponding RF modeling tools (HFSS or equivalent)
  • Experience with photonics packaging and optical propagation tools (Zemax or equivalent)
  • Experience with III-V design and integration with Si photonics

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $141,000 - $219,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process. 

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at: x-accommodation-request@x.team.

Apply Now

Fields marked with * are required

Resume/CV*
Cover Letter
This position is located in Mountain View, CA. Are you able to commute to the office and/or are you willing to relocate?*
Are you currently or were you previously an Alphabet employee, contractor, or intern?*
Application consent for X

By clicking the “I Accept” button you expressly give your consent for the collection and use of your information as described at https://www.google.com/about/careers/privacy/.  I consent to the processing of my information as described in that policy including that, in limited circumstances, my information may be shared with trusted third parties to assist in certain phases of the hiring process (such as conducting background checks).

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Disability Status

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran Status

Voluntary Self-Identification


For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in X, the moonshot factory’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race
Gender
Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Thank you for applying to X, the moonshot factory!

Your application has been received. We appreciate your interest in the open roles at X. Our team will review your materials and if there is a fit, a member of our team will contact you with more information.

X, a division of Google LLC. All rights reserved.