Photonics Engineer JB-5321

Description

Photonics Engineer

Location: Binyamina| Type: Full-time | Company: Well-funded deep-tech startup

About the Company

A well-funded startup developing next-generation underwater acoustic sensing systems, combining optical fibers, advanced interferometry, and signal processing. The company is building technology that redefines how the world perceives the undersea domain.

A small, focused team working from the ground up on proven, IP-protected technology — tackling complex challenges across optics, acoustics, mechanics, materials, and software. Everyone has real impact.

The Role

We're looking for a Photonics Engineer to own the optical front-end of a cutting-edge sensing system — a coherent interrogator that transforms kilometers of optical fiber into a distributed acoustic sensor.

You will design, build, characterize, and produce the photonic chain: laser source, optical transmitter, coherent receiver, filtering and amplification stages, integrated photonics modules, and high-speed acquisition.

This role sits at the intersection of laser physics, fiber optics, RF/high-speed electronics, and system engineering. You'll spend real time at the optical bench — assembling, measuring, and debugging — and just as much time defining where the system needs to go next.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and build the coherent interrogation chain: narrow-linewidth laser, modulators, optical filters, balanced photodetectors, polarization control, and optical amplification

• Specify and integrate optical components against demanding system-level requirements (phase noise, dynamic range, bandwidth)

• Build photonic system simulations and characterize the optical noise floor

• Drive architectural choices for multi-point distributed sensing and long unattended operation

• Select and integrate AWGs and high-speed digitizers (multi-GS/s), own clock distribution and sync

• Own the optical-architecture roadmap from breadboard to product: integrated photonics (PIC), packaged sub-assemblies, in-house optical device design

• Lead bench builds, field experiments, and on-site debugging

• Collaborate with signal-processing, mechanical, and software teams

Requirements

• BSc in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optics/Electro-Optics, or related field (MSc/PhD — strong advantage)

• Hands-on lab experience with photonic components — fiber optic assemblies, coherent setups, optical characterization

• Working understanding of laser physics, interferometry, and fiber-optic systems

• Comfortable with high-speed electronics: AWGs, digitizers, RF chains, sync and jitter budgets

• Programming skills for measurement automation and data analysis (Python / MATLAB)

Nice to Have

• Experience with coherent fiber sensing (DAS, phase-OTDR, OFDR, distributed interferometry)

• Narrow-linewidth or fiber lasers, EDFAs, AOMs, FBGs, or optical hybrid design

• Photonic system simulation (VPI, OptiSystem, or equivalent)

• Exposure to integrated/silicon photonics or PIC packaging

• Background in underwater acoustics, sonar, or acoustic sensor systems — big advantage

• Experience taking a photonic system from prototype to product (DFM, qualification, supply chain)

What We're Looking For

A hands-on photonicist who is happiest at the bench, can debug polarization fading and characterize laser phase noise, and thinks beyond the lab — about integration, manufacturability, and the path to a product that ships and survives real-world conditions.

Why This Role?

• Work on a photonics challenge that very few engineers worldwide get to tackle

• Own the optical architecture end-to-end — from bench to integrated photonics

• Well-funded startup with a clear path to a product that matters

• Small, high-caliber team where your work ships fast and your impact is visible

• Multi-disciplinary environment: optics, acoustics, mechanics, and software in one project