Senior Photonics Engineer

Basic Qualifications

Education Requirements:

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering, Technology or Mathematics field. Also requires 8+ years of job-related experience, or a Master's degree plus 6 years of job-related experience.  

 

Clearance Requirements:

Ability to obtain a Department of Defense TS/SCI security clearance is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities for this Position

General Dynamics Mission Systems designs, prototypes, packages, and tests custom photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and photonic subsystem solutions for mission-critical defense and intelligence applications.

 

We are seeking a Senior Photonics Engineer to lead photonic design execution across multiple programs and technology platforms. You will tackle a wide breadth of photonic and optoelectronic design challenges — from integrated photonic circuits to optical communication systems to more complex and advanced systems.

 

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead the full PIC design cycle process: requirements analysis, component and circuit design, simulation, layout, foundry tape-out, post-fabrication test, and design iteration
• Design PIC circuits and components using foundry PDKs and first-principles approaches as needed
• Execute PIC layout using Luceda IPKISS or equivalent tools
• Perform photonic simulation using Lumerical, Tidy3D, Photonforge, or equivalent tools
• Manage tape-out with domestic foundries including design rule checks, foundry interface, and run coordination
• Lead testing and characterization activities for fabricated PIC devices — optical and electrical measurements on bare die and packaged parts
• Design PICs with packaging in mind — fiber coupling, electrical fanout (wirebond and flip-chip), thermal, and mechanical constraints
• Contribute to optical system and link-level design and trade studies where programs extend beyond the chip level
• Mentor junior engineers and team members
• Contribute to IRAD projects and technology development
• Participate in customer-facing technical discussions and design reviews
• Contribute to technical and cost proposals

We encourage you to apply if you have these skills and experiences:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Physics or other relevant field plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree plus a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience OR PhD degree plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience
• Experience with full-lifecycle PIC design: concept → modeling → tape-out → test
• PIC layout tools (Luceda IPKISS, Photonforge, or equivalent)
• Photonic simulation tools (Lumerical, Tidy3D, or equivalent)
• Foundry tape-out experience at a commercial photonics foundry.
• Experience on at least one major photonics platform: silicon, silicon nitride, lithium niobate
• Working knowledge of core PIC building blocks: waveguides, couplers, ring resonators, AWGs, MZIs, modulators, photodetectors
• PIC test and characterization — fiber-coupled and probe-based measurements
• Technical leadership or mentorship of small engineering teams
• Python or scripting for design automation or test

Nice to have:

• Post-fabrication packaging experience: fiber array attach, wirebond or flip-chip integration, optical alignment, or managing external packaging vendors
• Multi-platform PIC experience across two or more of: silicon photonics, silicon nitride, III-V (InP), thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN)
• Optical system-level design or systems engineering for communication or sensing systems
• Familiarity with active photonic devices (lasers and amplifiers) and their integration into PIC-based systems
• RF photonics or analog photonic link design
• Nonlinear photonics (microresonator frequency combs, four-wave mixing, stimulated Brillouin scattering)

What sets you apart:

• A track record of taking a PIC from concept through tape-out to packaged, tested hardware — the complete journey, not just simulation or layout
• Multi-platform adaptability across different material systems and foundry processes
• Experience specifying packaging requirements and managing external assembly vendors to deliver integrated photonic modules
• Technical leadership on small design teams — defining approach, distributing work, and delivering as a team
• Combined depth in PIC design and breadth in optical or RF system-level engineering — you design the chip and understand the system it lives in
• Adjacent domain experience in free-space optical (FSO) communication systems, fiber-optic telecom systems, or RF systems.
• Ability to think creatively, multi-task, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders
• Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation

#LI-JH1

#LI-Hybrid

Salary Note

This estimate represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors (geographic location, etc.). Actual pay may vary. This job posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Combined Salary Range

USD $175,332.00 - USD $184,920.00 /Yr.

Company Overview

General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans