Full Job Description
Senior Optical System Architect
Ottawa, ON, Canada | Full-Time | Ranovus
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Optical System Architect owns the optical architecture of the Ranovus Odin platform. You will define how light flows through the system and ensure every optical design decision is traceable to a system-level requirement. Working closely with the PIC and Laser teams, you will translate architecture intent into formal TERs and provide continuous feedback to ensure design choices do not compromise system performance, yield, or reliability. You will be responsible for link budget and yield analysis.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Own the optical system architecture: define the end-to-end signal path, channel budget, and power allocation from laser to photodetector.
• Work closely with PIC and Laser teams to define Technical Engineering Requirements (TERs) for the optical architecture.
• Lead PIC integration analysis: evaluate modulator bandwidth, coupler tolerances, ring resonator FSR, and coupling yield distributions; provide architecture feedback to the PIC team.
• Lead laser integration analysis: evaluate output power budget, wavelength grid, linewidth, and WL locking range; provide architecture feedback to the Laser team.
• Perform sensitivity-vs-yield analysis across assembly tolerances and process corners; feed results into system yield models.
• Drive PVT (process, voltage, temperature) and aging margin analysis for optical system budgets.
• Collaborate with SI/PI and ASIC teams to ensure the optical and electrical signal chains are jointly optimized.
• Contribute to customer-facing architecture documentation and application notes.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• MSc. or Ph.D. in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years in optical system architecture or design for silicon photonics, III-V photonics, or CPO products.
• Deep hands-on experience with PIC-based systems: ring resonators, Mach-Zehnder modulators, Ge photodetectors, and laser-PIC co-design.
• Strong understanding of optical link budgets, BER analysis, and system margin allocation.
• Experience defining TERs or equivalent optical specifications for component teams.
• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python for link budget modeling and sensitivity analysis.
What You'll Do
You will play a key role in advancing next-generation laser products from development through qualification. By combining hands-on characterization, automation development, reliability testing, and machine vision inspection, you will help establish the data, tools, and processes needed to bring high-performance laser products into production. Working closely with R&D, qualification and reliability teams, packaging suppliers, and external test providers, you will contribute directly to the successful commercialization of cutting-edge photonic technologies.
