Team Leader Optical Ranging Systems

Team leader role for an optical ranging team focused on developing PIC based LiDARs.

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What you will do

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology has seen significant growth over the last years, mainly driven by the automotive industry. Size, weight, and cost are some of the major driving forces when exploring new LiDAR architectures. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) open the possibility of densely packing most of the required LiDAR photonic building blocks on a single Si/SiN chip using CMOS-compatible foundry processes. Emerging solid-state systems are typically based on coherent detection techniques, such as FMCW (frequency-modulated continuous wave) and focus on reducing their dependency on mechanical scanning devices by using optical phased arrays (OPAs) for solid-state beamforming.

We are looking for someone to lead a small team working on optical ranging systems. The team is focused on the development of new solid-state LiDAR chips, covering both individual photonic components (such as OPAs, phase shifters and optical antennas) and fully integrated systems (including integrated laser sources and photodetectors). The candidate needs to make strong technical contribution to this work, but also have a passion for people and be able to guide the growth of team members and amplify their potential.

In this role, your main tasks will be:

• Make key contributions to the development and design of PIC based LiDAR
• Coach and follow-up team members, setting goals and encouraging growth
• Ensure the operational, and technical excellence of the team
• Help solve technical problems regarding design or characterization
• Manage the team resources to plan and staff ongoing and future projects
• Interact and align with the group and department, and project leadership

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, ‘our corporate university’, we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth.

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits.

Who you are

You have:

• a PhD in engineering, optics, physics or equivalent, or 5 years of directly relevant experience in a research/industrial environment
• Experience in leading and managing a technical team
• Good resource planning skills and project planning skills
• Experience with optical and photonic modeling and simulation approaches, and typical tools such as Lumerical FDTD
• Experience in the field of integrated photonics, and have insight into optical beamforming and ranging techniques
• Experience with measurement techniques and characterization of performance of optical components
• Good communication skills and good interpersonal skills
• Excellent reporting skills and can present technical and non-technical results and choices clearly and concisely
• The ability to easily integrate into a cross-functional, culturally diverse, international team. Fluency in English is essential.