Head of Photonics

Responsibilities

- Define and own the integrated photonics roadmap. Assess competing material platforms and architectures against system-level requirements, and make clear, well-reasoned downselect decisions.

- Lead PIC development programs from specification through design, fabrication, test, packaging, and integration into our quantum computers.

- Build and lead an in-house photonics team, and establish its design, simulation, test, and integration capabilities.

- Serve as technical lead for external partnerships with foundries, materials suppliers, and photonics companies: scope development efforts, write and negotiate specifications, review designs, and hold partners to performance and schedule.

- Scout and evaluate emerging photonic technologies that could open new approaches to qubit control.

- Generate intellectual property and communicate results internally and, as appropriate, in publications and presentations.

- Capable of lifting and moving objects that weigh up to 25 pounds.

Experience & Education

- PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Sciences, Applied Physics, or a related field.

- 8+ years of post-PhD experience in integrated photonics in industry or a leading research group, including leading PIC programs from concept to fabricated, tested devices.

- Demonstrated experience building and leading technical teams.

Required Qualifications

- Recognized expertise in integrated photonics, with command of the full landscape: material platforms, foundry ecosystems, and the current state of the art in modulators, nonlinear devices, and large-scale photonic circuits.

- Hands-on track record designing, taping out, and characterizing PICs through external foundries or internal fabs.

- Deep understanding of high-performance electro-optic modulation and/or integrated nonlinear optics.

- Proven ability to manage external development partners, including writing specifications and driving multi-party programs to schedule.

- Sound technical judgment: comfortable making high-stakes platform decisions with incomplete information, and defending them with data.

- Ability to communicate clearly with physicists, engineers, executives, and external partners.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with visible or near-infrared integrated photonics.

- Experience across multiple material platforms, such as thin-film electro-optic materials, silicon nitride, and heterogeneous integration.

- Experience with large-scale photonic circuits and with interfacing PICs to free-space optics.

- Experience with high-speed RF drive, photonic packaging, and fiber and free-space coupling.

- Established relationships across photonics foundries, academic groups, and startups.

- Experience in a fast-paced hardware development or startup environment.