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Great Sky is a technology startup pursuing neuroscience-inspired hardware and algorithms to overcome scaling challenges in AI systems. The company is developing cryogenic photonic networks as a core part of its technology platform.
You will serve as a Photonics Fabrication and Design Engineer with high ownership of the R&D prototyping lifecycle. This is a hands-on role based near Boulder, with work conducted in a research cleanroom facility.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own end-to-end prototype fabrication runs in a research cleanroom environment
- Develop, execute, and optimize manufacturable fabrication processes for integrated photonic devices and superconducting devices, including SNSPDs (superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors)
- Design, simulate, and optimize passive silicon nitride (SiN) photonic components such as grating couplers, splitters, mode converters, edge couplers, and optical I/O
- Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) and process flows into stable Processes of Record (POR)
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of internal Process Design Kits (PDKs) and component libraries
- Work closely with test, packaging, and systems integration teams to correlate device performance with fabrication metrics and accelerate design-build-test-learn cycles
The company culture is onsite by default, founded by scientists accustomed to lab work, though hybrid arrangements are available for the right candidate.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
- BS, MS, or PhD in physics, electrical engineering, optics, materials science, or related field; or equivalent practical experience
- Hands-on experience in microfabrication, nanofabrication, or semiconductor processing
- Experience fabricating devices on at least one platform: silicon photonics, silicon nitride, and/or superconducting electronics
- Strong background in passive photonic component design with proficiency in industry-standard electromagnetic simulation software (e.g., Ansys Lumerical, Tidy3D)
- Solid understanding of photonic layout concepts, Design Rule Checking (DRC), and familiarity with standard layout tools (e.g., KLayout, Luceda, Cadence)
Preferred:
- Experience with SNSPD fabrication
- Experience with heterogeneous or hybrid integration methods such as bump bonding or fusion bonding
- Experience transferring processes to external fabs or working with foundries
- Previous fabrication background utilizing shared, multi-user facilities such as university cleanrooms, national laboratories, or advanced commercial R&D centers
