Photonics PDK Development Engineer (Silicon Photonics Design Automation) at Intel, Bengaluru
Job Description
Intel’s Integrated Photonics Solutions (IPS) group is hiring a photonics PDK development engineer in Bengaluru. The role builds and maintains production silicon photonics process design kits and the electronic-photonic design automation (EPDA) around them: parametric cells, physical verification rule decks and sign-off flows (DRC, LVS, ERC), AI-assisted design workflows and CI/CD pipelines that test and release PDKs. It supports Intel’s internal photonic products, from lasers and pluggable optics to co-packaged optics.
At a glance
- Role: Photonics PDK Development Engineer (JR0286974)
- Group: Integrated Photonics Solutions (IPS)
- Location: Bengaluru, India
- Posted: 10 September 2026
- Experience: Bachelor’s + 6 years (MS + 4 or PhD + 2 preferred)
- Apply: open until filled (re-checked 13 October 2026)
About the PDK role
- Develop, validate and maintain production silicon photonics PDKs for internal products and foundry enablement
- Define EPDA tools, flows and methods for photonic IC design and manufacturing with PDK architects
- Build physical verification methods and rule decks with Siemens Calibre, Cadence PVS/Pegasus and Synopsys ICV
- Design PCells, automation and reusable IP
- Use AI and automation to speed up design enablement
- Build CI/CD pipelines to test, package and release PDKs and tools
What the IPS group works on
The posting says IPS develops photonic devices and systems for smaller, faster optical links driven by AI bandwidth growth, and delivers the design automation software, flows, verification frameworks and cloud design environments used across Intel’s silicon photonics products.
What Intel is looking for
- A bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer or electrical engineering, or photonics, with 6+ years in EDA, EPDA, PDK development, CAD software or physical verification
- Experience with custom analogue, mixed-signal or photonic IC design flows through tape-out
- Physical verification with Calibre, ICV or PVS/Pegasus
- Strong Cadence Virtuoso skills, including SKILL and PCell development
- Python and Linux shell scripting; DRC, LVS, ERC and extraction
Nice to have
- An MS with 4+ years or a PhD with 2+ years in EDA, EPDA, silicon photonics or PDK work
- Curvilinear PCells with Cadence CurvyCore
- Rule decks in Calibre SVRF/TVF
- CI/CD and regression frameworks for PDKs
- AI/ML applied to design automation
- Multi-foundry design ecosystems
Pay and location
Intel’s posting for this India role does not state a salary. It is a full-time experienced-hire role in Bengaluru.
How to apply
Apply through the official Intel job posting. Intel’s posting does not give a closing date, so the role is open until filled; ResearchJobs.in will re-check this listing on 13 October 2026. Check the posting for location and work-authorisation details before you apply.
See all our research engineer jobs, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Intel
Official advertisement: intel.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
How to prepare for this application
- SKILL and PCells: bring examples of PCells you wrote, ideally for photonic or curvilinear shapes.
- Verification: be ready to explain why photonic layouts break standard DRC and how you handle it.
- Automation: show a CI pipeline or regression suite you built for a design kit.
- Rare in India: silicon photonics PDK roles are uncommon here; mention any photonic tape-out you supported.
About Intel's photonics work
Intel has built silicon photonics products for years and says it pioneered the first heterogeneous silicon laser. Its Integrated Photonics Solutions group develops photonic devices, design tools and optical interconnects for data centres and AI, and Intel Foundry offers a silicon photonics platform to outside customers.
