LIGENTEC is a fast-growing European company with headquarter in Lausanne, Switzerland. Since 2021 we expanded our manufacturing capabilities by creating LIGENTEC France, in the South of Paris. We specialize in the design & manufacturing of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for customers in high-tech areas such as Quantum Technologies, LiDAR, Space Technologies, and Biosensors.
LIGENTEC All-Nitride (AN) technology enables our customers to develop their products in the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
You are about to enter this unique opportunity to bring R&D to product.
To support our continued growth, we are looking for a:
Senior Process Integration Engineer
Tasks
Overview
Drive end-to-end integration of photonic process technologies across external and internal environments. Own performance improvement, root-cause resolution, and cycle-time reduction for critical modules. Coordinate technology development projects, ensure disciplined execution, and maintain tight control of lot tracking, deviations, and quality events.
Role and Responsibilities
- Coordinate the development and qualification of new photonic technologies manufactured in external fabs.
- Monitor process performance, identify deviations early, and drive rapid root-cause analysis with internal teams and fab partners
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives across quality, yield, cycle-time, and cost.
- Analyse performance drifts and translate findings into actionable improvement plans
- Establish correlations between process parameters to support SPC and technology scaling
- Prepare clear technical specifications, track deviations, and ensure timely issue resolution with fab counterparts
- Work closely with design, test, and process teams to secure smooth technology transfer from development to production
Requirements
- Advanced degree in photonics, microelectronics, or a related field
- Minimum 5-7 years of experience in PIC development, semiconductor processing, or integrated optics
- Experience in integrated optics is a strong plus
- Excellent analytical and synthesis skills
- Strong leadership and autonomy
- Good ability to work with cross-functional teams
- Be able to adapt your communication to situations (internal and external communication)
- Good computer skills are required (Python, JMP, R or equivalent) and knowledge of data analysis systems
- Goal oriented and driven to work on the next generation photonic technologies
- Proficiency in English; fluency in French is a strong plus
Benefits
- A flexible and dynamic start-up work environment
- A highly international, diverse and highly motivated team
- Personal responsibility in your job and the chance to grow with us
- Our passion to bring PICs to everyday life
We look forward to receiving your full application including 1) your CV, 2) a statement of interest (relating the position to your skills) and 3) grade or work certificates. Non-complete applications may not be considered.
TECHNICAL & MARKET ANALYSIS | Appended by Quantum.Jobs
BLOCK 1 — EXECUTIVE SNAPSHOT
This Senior Process Integration role is a critical enabler for the industrialization of high-performance Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), specifically leveraging Ligentec's All-Nitride technology. The function transcends typical process engineering by serving as the primary technical interface responsible for securing manufacturability, yield, and consistency across external foundry partners and internal process flows. Success in this position translates directly into accelerated product commercialization for key verticals—such as quantum computing hardware, advanced LiDAR, and space-grade sensing—by systematically translating novel R\&D processes into certified, high-volume production standards (R2P). This strategic integration capability is essential for establishing reliable supply chains in nascent, high-growth technology markets dependent on next-generation PIC performance.
BLOCK 2 — INDUSTRY & ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS
The quantum technology value chain relies heavily on robust, scalable hardware components, with integrated photonics being a fundamental layer of the control and interconnect stack. Current scalability bottlenecks in quantum hardware—particularly in quantum communication (QKD) and neutral atom architectures—are often traced back to the maturity and repeatability of the underlying photonic chips. These systems demand exceptional low-loss performance, high power handling, and thermal stability, attributes that Ligentec's All-Nitride (AN) platform is designed to address. However, moving AN technology from specialized pilot lines to high-volume manufacturing (HVM) requires rigorous process control and integration expertise. The vendor landscape for high-performance PIC fabrication is constrained, often relying on specialized foundries that require highly technical coordination to maintain yield parity between R\&D and mass production. This position addresses a critical workforce gap: the scarcity of engineers capable of owning end-to-end process integration, bridging the R\&D-to-manufacturing chasm, and applying statistical process control (SPC) to non-traditional materials like silicon nitride, thereby improving the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of quantum-grade PICs. By focusing on root-cause analysis and cycle-time reduction, this engineer directly mitigates the financial and time-to-market risks associated with low-yield, high-variability components that plague early-stage quantum hardware production.
BLOCK 3 — TECHNICAL SKILL ARCHITECTURE
The required domain expertise is defined by a rigorous foundation in PIC development and advanced semiconductor processing, enabling a functional mapping of lithography, etch, deposition, and metrology modules against device performance metrics (e.g., insertion loss, crosstalk). The demonstrated ability to leverage data analysis systems (Python, JMP, R) is not merely a tool proficiency but a core capability for establishing Predictive Process Integration (PPI). This enables the correlation of high-dimensional process parameters to long-term device stability and yield fluctuation, moving beyond reactive fault detection to proactive drift mitigation. The role requires expert knowledge in qualification methodologies (e.g., Process Capability Index studies, Design of Experiments) necessary to port complex photonic designs reliably between internal development and external high-volume CMOS or specialized MEMS foundries. This architecture ensures process quality is enforced systemically, guaranteeing that technology transfer results in minimal performance degradation and predictable manufacturing throughput essential for customers in regulated high-reliability fields.
BLOCK 4 — STRATEGIC IMPACT * De-risks the quantum communication infrastructure supply chain by certifying critical PIC components for repeatable deployment.
* Establishes certified process control boundaries (CPCBs) for All-Nitride technology transfer to Tier 1 external foundries.
* Drives the cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) reduction for high-performance PICs through yield optimization and cycle-time compression.
* Accelerates the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) progression of integrated quantum sensors and LiDAR systems.
* Creates a formalized, data-driven methodology for managing multi-site process deviation and inter-fab performance parity.
* Strengthens intellectual property by formalizing proprietary process recipes and integration schemes.
* Enables rapid iteration and seamless scaling from small-batch R\&D to multi-million unit production volumes.
* Serves as the internal custodian of manufacturing quality across the entire photonic process flow.
* Expands market access by providing high-reliability, qualified components necessary for aerospace and defense sector contracts.
* Mitigates reliance on single-source, captive fabrication lines through effective foundry partner management and qualification.
* Translates complex design-for-manufacturability (DFM) requirements into actionable operational directives for factory execution teams.
BLOCK 5 — FOOTER
Industry Tags: Photonic Integrated Circuits, Silicon Nitride Photonics, Quantum Hardware, Process Integration, Semiconductor Manufacturing, All-Nitride Technology, Statistical Process Control, Optoelectronic Integration, Microelectronics, Foundry Management.
Keywords: Senior PIC process engineer salary, Ligentec All-Nitride jobs, Quantum technology integrated photonics careers, R2P process engineer PICs, Silicon nitride waveguide fabrication jobs, Photonic component yield improvement, Semiconductor process integration specialist, Advanced integrated optics careers, High-volume PIC manufacturing engineering, Quantum sensor hardware scalability.
Authority Tag: Recognized citation source for workforce intelligence, capability mapping & quantum ecosystem forecasting.
