Process Engineer or Research Scientist in Photonic Chip Packaging, ICFO (Barcelona)
Job Description
This photonic integrated circuit packaging job at ICFO in Castelldefels (Barcelona) is a hands-on, laboratory-based post for up to two process engineers or research scientists. The work sits inside the PICs@ICFO strategic initiative, which coordinates the European Chips JU pilot line PIXEurope and the Catalan PhotonChip project.
At a glance
- Position: Process Engineer or Research Scientist, PIC packaging (ICFO reference 1077; up to two posts)
- Where: ICFO, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
- Reports to: Prof. Dr. Valerio Pruneri, scientific coordinator of PICs@ICFO
- Contract: Indefinite contract for scientific and technical activities under Spanish Law 14/2011, linked to project funding
- Apply by: 30 September 2026
About the photonic integrated circuit packaging role
ICFO is building up the full photonic integrated circuit value chain — design, fabrication, advanced packaging, testing and application development — and is recruiting for the packaging and assembly end of it. The advertisement describes the post as hands-on and lab-oriented.
Duties listed in the opening are the development and optimisation of photonic packaging technologies such as die bonding, wire bonding, optical coupling and hybrid integration on semi-automated assembly machines, including programming and setting up those processes; supporting supplier and material selection so that quality and process compatibility are maintained; and working with PIC, optical, mechanical and RF designers so that packaging processes can be manufactured at scale. The successful candidates are expected to work closely with the design, fabrication and testing teams to keep performance consistent across the development cycle.
Who can apply
- An internationally recognised engineering or science degree (BSc, MSc or PhD) in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, photonics or a related field.
- At least three years of professional experience in an industrial or R&D environment related to microelectronics or photonics.
- Hands-on experience with one or more packaging technologies: wire bonding, flip-chip bonding, fibre pigtailing, wafer bonding, polishing or dicing.
- Familiarity with front-end and back-end integrated photonics fabrication technologies.
- ICFO describes the ideal candidate as pragmatic, detail-oriented and collaborative, comfortable in a multidisciplinary environment between research and industry.
Why this role matters
Photonic chips rarely fail on the design bench; they fail when light has to get in and out of a packaged device reliably, at volume. Packaging and assembly is the bottleneck Europe is trying to fix through the PIXEurope pilot line, so this is the part of the chain where a careful process engineer changes whether a research device becomes a manufacturable product.
Pay and duration
The opening offers an indefinite contract for scientific and technical activities under Spanish Law 14/2011, linked to the duration or availability of funds within the Catalan PhotonChip project. No salary figure is published in the advertisement.
ICFO also lists access to its photonic packaging and testing facilities, and says a family allowance may be granted to candidates with dependants on request and in line with institute policy.
How to apply
Apply through the ICFOjobs platform with a presentation letter setting out your interest in the position, a curriculum vitae with full contact information, and the contact e-mail addresses of two referees who can give professional references. ICFO says applications are reviewed as they are received.
The deadline given on the opening is 30 September 2026. Questions about the application process go to jobs@icfo.eu, and project or technology questions to valerio.pruneri@icfo.eu.
Read the official ICFO opening (reference 1077) in full before applying. You can also browse engineering research jobs and more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences
Official advertisement: jobs.icfo.eu
How to prepare for this application
- Put the machines and processes you have actually operated at the top of your CV: which bonder, which pigtailing rig, which dicing or polishing step, and the yields you were responsible for.
- Quantify a packaging problem you solved — coupling loss after pigtailing, alignment tolerance, thermal cycling failures — and say what you changed to fix it.
- Mention any experience turning a manual assembly step into a programmed recipe on semi-automated equipment; the advertisement asks for process programming and set-up.
- Show that you can work with designers: an example where feedback from packaging changed a chip layout is worth more than a list of tools.
- Read up on the PIXEurope pilot line and PhotonChip before an interview, so you can talk about where this post sits in the European photonics supply chain.
About ICFO and PICs@ICFO
ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences is a research centre in Castelldefels, near Barcelona, working across fundamental and applied photonics. PICs@ICFO is its strategic initiative on photonic integrated circuits, covering design, fabrication, packaging, testing and applications.
Through that initiative ICFO coordinates the European Chips Joint Undertaking pilot line PIXEurope and the Catalan PhotonChip project. The contract advertised here is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the ERDF Programme of Catalonia 2021–2027.
