Principal RF Design Engineer - Consultant

ChromoPIC Sensing is a DeepTech, Fabless Semiconductor company developing an advanced suite of sensors for frontier industries such as Space, Defense & Marine etc.
Founded by former Silicon Valley based, Automotive LiDAR experts & with fresh funding raised from a set of revered investors - ChromoPIC is now looking to hire for the following position(s).
Role: Principal Consulting Engineer – RF
Domain: Photonic Integrated Circuits / Silicon Photonics / Electro-Optics / Antenna Design / Traveling-wave electrodes
Engagement: Consulting / Part-time / Fractional / Project-based
Seniority: Principal / Subject Matter Expert
Role Summary:
We are looking for an experienced Principal Consulting Engineer – RF to provide technical leadership in the design, simulation, characterization, and integration of RF and high-speed electrical interfaces for Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).
The role will focus on translating system-level electro-optical requirements into RF architectures, transmission-line structures, high-speed photonic device interfaces, and measurement methodologies, with particular emphasis on high-frequency performance, signal integrity, impedance matching, and electro-optical co-design.
The consultant will work closely with PIC designers, photonic device engineers, packaging engineers, PCB/electronics designers, and system architects to develop manufacturable and testable RF-photonic solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
1. RF–Photonic Co-Design
Define RF requirements for electro-optic PICs, including bandwidth, impedance, insertion loss, return loss, RF power, noise, linearity, phase response, crosstalk
Develop RF architectures for electro-optic modulators, photodetectors, optical receivers, coherent systems, and RF-over-photonics applications.
Evaluate trade-offs between photonic, RF, packaging, and system-level performance.
2. High-Speed RF Design
Design and review CPW, microstrip, stripline, and traveling-wave electrode structures on PICs and interposers.
Optimize impedance matching and RF signal propagation through PIC, bond wires, wire bonds, flip-chip interfaces, packages, PCB, connectors, Analyze parasitic capacitance, inductance, loss and discontinuities.
3. RF Simulation & Modeling
Perform or guide electromagnetic and circuit-level simulations using tools such as Ansys HFSS, CST, Keysight ADS, Cadence, COMSOL, MATLAB/Python, Develop equivalent-circuit and behavioral models for photonic/RF components.
Correlate simulation results with wafer/package/bench measurements.
4. Electro-Optic Device Characterization
Establish characterization methodologies for RF-photonic devices.
Analyze S-parameters, EO S21, bandwidth, Vπ, VπL, RF loss, impedance, and electro-optic response.
Develop measurement setups involving VNA, High-speed oscilloscopes, RF signal generators, Spectrum analyzers, Optical receivers, high-speed probes, bias tees, RF probes.
5. PIC Packaging & Interconnect
Advise on RF implications of different packaging approaches.
Work with packaging teams on RF launch design, wire-bond geometry, flip-chip interconnects, substrate selection and thermal considerations.
Identify sources of RF degradation introduced during packaging and assembly.
6. Foundry / Technology Interaction
Review foundry PDK capabilities and limitations related to RF-photonic devices.
Translate RF requirements into PIC layout and process requirements.
Support technology selection and discussions with external PIC foundries, packaging houses and component suppliers.
7. System-Level Architecture
Depending on the company's product portfolio, contribute to systems such as coherent optical transceivers, optical communications, LiDAR, microwave photonics, photonic radar, RF signal, processing, optical frequency/phase measurement, photonic sensing, integrated optical gyroscopes.
The Principal Consultant should be expected to:
Review and challenge RF/PIC architectures.
Identify technical bottlenecks before tape-out.
Establish RF design rules and design methodologies.
Review layouts and simulation results.
Define characterization plans.
Diagnose discrepancies between simulation and measurement.
Guide junior/mid-level engineers.
Interface with external foundries and packaging vendors.
Make technology-selection recommendations.
Provide independent technical judgment on RF/PIC feasibility.
Required Experience, Essential:
4+ years of experience in RF/microwave, high-speed electronics, electro-optics, or a closely related field.
Strong understanding of:
RF/microwave engineering
Transmission lines
S-parameters
Impedance matching
Signal integrity
High-speed interconnects
Electromagnetic simulation.
Experience with:
High-speed electro-optic devices or RF-photonic systems.
VNAs and RF characterization.
Strong understanding of PCB/package/PIC interconnect effects.
Ability to translate system specifications into component-level RF requirements.
Highly desirable Experience with:
Silicon photonics / TFLN PIC / SiN PIC / InP PIC.
Electro-Optic modulators and high-speed photodetectors.
Traveling-wave electrodes.
40–100+ GHz RF systems.
RFIC/MMIC or high-speed semiconductor packaging.
PIC foundries and PDKs.
Wafer-level RF probing and electro-optic characterization.
Microwave photonics or coherent optical systems.
Educational Background:
M.Tech / M.S. / Ph.D. in RF & Microwave Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Photonics, Optics, or a related discipline.
Exceptional industry experience may substitute for an advanced degree.
Key Deliverables:
The consultant would typically be accountable for:
RF architecture definition
RF/PIC design reviews
Electromagnetic and circuit simulation methodology
RF layout/design guidelines
High-speed device models
Measurement and characterization methodology
RF/package/PIC interface optimization
Foundry/PDK technical evaluation
Root-cause analysis of RF/EO performance issues
Technical mentoring and design reviews
We are looking for exceptional talent to join us in our extraordinary journey!
write to info@chromopic.com with a resume and a short introduction.

Work arrangement
No