About Opticore

Opticore is a photonic computing company building the next generation of energy-efficient AI hardware. Spun out of MIT and based in Berkeley, CA, we are a Series A startup on a mission to solve the energy and scaling challenges of modern AI computing. Our team of is tight-knit, technically deep, and moving fast. All roles are on-site in Berkeley, CA.

About the Role

You will design the electronic integrated circuits that interface our photonic computing cores. This is an end-to-end IC design role spanning architecture, schematic, layout, and tape-out. You will work closely with our PIC designer, FPGA engineer, and packaging team to ensure tight photonic-electronic co-design across the stack.

Responsibilities

• Design analog and mixed-signal circuits for photonic intergrated circuit (PIC) (drivers, TIAs, PLLs, ADCs/DACs as applicable)
• Own full custom IC design flow: schematic, simulation, layout, DRC/LVS/PEX, tape-out
• Co-design with the PIC team to meet joint optical and electrical specifications
• Interface with the FPGA engineer on digital control interfaces and signal integrity
• Collaborate with packaging team on die-level integration and interposer design

Requirements

• 5+ years of industry experience in analog/mixed-signal or custom digital IC design
• Proficiency in Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys tools, and KLayout
• Demonstrated end-to-end tape-out ownership
• Experience with high-speed or RF circuit design
• Industry background strongly preferred

Nice to Have

• Experience designing driver or receiver circuits for photonic or optical systems
• Exposure to 2.5D/3D integration or co-packaged optics