Principal PIC Simulation Engineer

Principal Pic Simulation, Materials And Device Characterization Engineer

As a technical authority within Nokia's Optical Components organization, you will serve as a technical authority responsible for deep technical leadership in photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device physics, materials characterization, simulation, and opto-electronic testing.

This role focuses on understanding, modeling, and characterizing materials and devices for advanced optoelectronic applications, enabling root-cause identification and guiding corrective actions across design, process, and manufacturing teams. You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, influence cross-functional engineering direction, and contribute directly to the success of Nokia's next-generation optical component technologies.

Your Responsibilities

• Act as a subject matter expert in PIC device physics, guiding design and technology decisions
• Develop, apply, and correlate device and material simulation models to experimental and manufacturing data
• Work effectively with simulation packages, scripting environments, and large data sets to extract insight and guide technical direction
• Partner with device design, process, and product engineering teams to translate modeling and characterization results into actionable improvements

• Lead materials characterization across semiconductor, metal, and dielectric layers, including interpretation of complex physical and electrical data
• Drive opto-electronic testing and characterization of PIC devices, correlating performance to material properties and processing conditions
• Establish characterization methodologies and best practices to support technology development, yield improvement, and reliability objectives

• Drive root cause analysis of complex materials, device, and performance issues using data-driven and physics-based approaches
• Define and implement corrective actions, working across design, process, integration, and manufacturing teams
• Translate characterization and modeling results into clear technical recommendations and risk assessments

• Provide technical leadership at the Principal level, influencing strategy and technical direction beyond immediate project scope
• Drive cross-functional teams of engineers toward shared technical objectives
• Mentor and guide engineers across levels, elevating overall organizational capability in simulation, materials, and device understanding
• Communicate complex technical findings clearly to engineering, management, and business stakeholders

Your Skills And Experience

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• Minimum 10 years of experience developing and characterizing materials and devices for optoelectronic applications
• Deep expertise in: PIC device physics, semiconductor, metal, and dielectric materials properties, characterization methods, and data interpretation, opto-electronic testing of PIC devices, modeling, simulation, scripting, and working with large, complex data sets, physics-based and data-driven root cause analysis
• Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional engineering teams to measurable outcomes
• Excellent communication and organizational skills

• Experience supporting technology development, qualification, and yield ramp for photonic devices
• Strong background correlating simulation, materials characterization, and manufacturing data
• Experience influencing technical direction across geographically distributed teams
• Track record of solving complex, multidisciplinary problems in optoelectronics or compound semiconductor technologies

Job Info

• Job Category Applied R&D
• Job Schedule Full time
• Job Type Experienced
• Role Type Individual contributor
• US/Canada Salary Range $195,000 - $265,000 USD+ incentives
• Locations 1322 Bordeaux Drive, Sunnyvale, California, 94089-1005, US