Location: Leuven, Belgium (Vibrant tech hub, hybrid options available)

Contract Type: Temporary Consulting Assignment (via ASAP)

Duration: Immediate Start until January 2027 

About Swave Photonics

At Swave Photonics, we’re not just dreaming about the future: we’re building it! We are a fabless semiconductor company that designs and markets holographic chips based on proprietary diffractive photonics technology. Our mission is to enable display manufacturers and content creators to disrupt the visualization market with immersive, ultra-high-resolution, life-like, true holographic displays.

As a spin-out from imec, we bridge top-tier scientific research with disruptive market applications. To keep our aggressive roadmap on track, we are looking for an expert Digital Physical Consultant to join our team for a critical, fixed-term assignment.

Scope of Work & Responsibilities

As a consultant, you will take immediate ownership of our digital back-end layout design. Skills in Design for Test (DFT) are desirable.

Required:

• Digital Back-End Layout: Design and implement the digital layout for a mixed-signal IC.

• Layout & Verification: Execute the physical design using Cadence tools and verify the layout using advanced physical verification tools.

• PPA Optimization: Partner with the design team to optimize physical layouts for performance, power, and area (PPA).

• Methodology Feedback: Provide immediate, actionable feedback to the design team to optimize design flows and physical implementation pipelines.

Bonus:

• DFT Implementation: Drive Design for Test (DFT) insertion, architecture, and strategy to ensure high test coverage.

Profile & Requirements

We need a consultant who can integrate seamlessly into a fast-paced environment and deliver high-quality layouts with minimal onboarding.

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) or a related technical field.

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in digital back-end layout/physical design.

• Technical Expertise: * Proven track record in taking RTL to GDSII.

  • Solid understanding of layout design principles, design rules, and advanced process nodes.

  • Proficiency with Cadence digital layout tools 

  • Experience with physical verification tools like Calibre or ICV.

  • Familiarity with scripting languages (TCL, Perl) to optimize design flows.

• Soft Skills: Strong analytical problem-solving skills, excellent communication, and a highly collaborative, team-first mindset.

• Language: Professional fluency in English (written and spoken).

What Swave Offers

• Impact: The chance to work on world-first, proprietary diffractive photonics technology.

• Culture: An informal, vibrant, and highly collaborative environment built on mutual trust.

• Rate: Competitive consultant day rate tailored to your expertise and seniority level.