Coherent Systems Architect - Optical Modem Modeling and Specification

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Coherent Systems Architect - Optical Modem Modeling and Specification

United States, Canada (Hybrid)

Imagine being part of a team that is fundamentally changing the way people communicate, the way they collaborate, the way they watch TV and explore the universe through the internet. Utilizing our uniquely differentiated technology, we have created an Intelligent Transport Network with more speed, capacity and scalability than ever before. Imagine a world with unlimited bandwidth. The network of tomorrow will allow for content and creativity limited only by the imaginations of its users.

If this is something that interests you, that excites you, come take a look at a team not bound by large company obstacles and bureaucracy, where an idea today can be set in motion tomorrow. Come take a look at Nokia!

Nokia is seeking a Coherent Optical System Architect to join our Optical Systems Group (OSG). The engineer will be responsible for contributing to the development of leading coherent MODEMs based on Nokia’s next-generation coherent photonic integrated circuits (PICs).

The ideal candidate will develop and maintain state-of-the-art simulation environments that guide Nokia’s MODEM design including its digital, analog and optical sub-systems. This involves the modeling and systematic breakdown of all MODEM impairments with continuous alignment to experimental measurements of early prototype hardware. Sophisticated simulation platforms guide major design decisions and serve as invaluable feedback to cross-functional design teams throughout the entire development cycle of Nokia’s next generation optical engines.

OSG works closely with many parts of the company and the candidate should anticipate frequent interactions with the digital ASIC team on digital signal processing aspects and with photonic integrated circuit, high-speed analog ASIC, and line-systems engineering teams. Additionally, OSG frequently works with customers and internal networking groups on performance projections and network level impact of our coherent MODEMs.

A key component of this role is the ability to understand and make tradeoffs between optical, electrical, and digital capabilities in order to optimize the overall vertically integrated system performance.

Your responsibilities

• Nokia’s next generation communications platforms are defined, developed, and optimized based on sophisticated, end-to-end simulation platforms that are continuously fed with measurements of early prototypes and mature hardware.
• As the design space of modern optical engines is infinitely vast compared to prototype development and timescales of semiconductor device fabrication, your simulation results will guide our design and lead key design decisions from initial product definition to early design phases of MODEM development to configuration optimization in the final stages of manufacturing and production. This requires a detailed and deep understanding of all MODEM impairments in the digital, analog and optical domain.
• You will be evaluating the effectiveness of state-of-the-art digital signal processing algorithms, estimating the impact of transistor-level design choices in analog circuits and predict the MODEM performance penalties of integrated optical components such as Mach-Zehnder modulators and semiconductor optical amplifiers. Furthermore, you will be projecting the reach of our optical engines based on various linear and nonlinear impairments of the optical fiber channel and deployed line-systems.
• Through frequent interaction with the relevant design teams, you will assist in design, finding relationships between low level hardware specifications and its system level impact and optimizing performance-critical aspects to maximize overall modem performance.
• Results will be presented internally and documented as electrical and optical performance specifications for next-generation platforms.
• Some external and customer-facing interactions may be required, such as expected improvements of our next-generation engines on customer networks and contributing to forums discussing multi-source vendor agreements.

Your skills and experience

Expertise on all points simultaneously is not required.

• PhD. in Electrical Engineering or Applied Physics with 0- 3 years of industrial or academic experience in optical communications, photonics, high speed electronics or systems.
• Fundamental understanding of optical communication systems, DWDM transmission systems, fiber transmission penalties, photonic integrated components, electronic (integrated) circuits, and signal analysis and processing.
• Experience and a strong mathematical understanding of the analytical and numerical modelling of system-level optical communication systems and components.
• Extensive understanding of coherent communications systems, including experience with QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM, as well as coding and forward error correction algorithms.
• Experience characterizing high-speed RF and mm-wave interconnects, amplifiers, and components such as S parameter, jitter, ENOB, nonlinear compression and their system implications
• Experience in the characterization and modeling of various linear and nonlinear signal impairments, e.g., filtering, noise, nonlinear amplitude and phase distortions, dispersion etc.
• Programming experience in Matlab, Python, VB.net, or C desired.

NION2026

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Job Info

• Job CategoryApplied R&D
• Posting Date05/05/2026
• Degree LevelBachelor’s degree
• Job ScheduleFull time
• Job TypeExperienced
• Job Identification31076
• Will NSA/CAPS approval be required? (E.g., accessing a US Customer Network?)No
• Role TypeIndividual contributor
• Salary RangeFormat to use for the salary ranges:

US Annual Base Salary Range*: $159,000 - $295,000 USD

*Plus, potential incentive/variable compensation for eligible roles.

Canada Annual Base Salary Range*: $112,000 - $209,000 CAD

*Plus, potential incentive/variable compensation for eligible roles.

• Locations6373 San Ignacio Avenue, San Jose, California, 95119-1200, US390 March Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K2K 3H4, CAThurn-und-Taxis-Str. 10, Nuremberg, 90411, DE(Hybrid)
• Regular or TemporaryRegular

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