Postdoctoral Researcher in Optical Communication Systems for Data Centre and Optical Access Networks

Postdoctoral Researcher in Optical Communication Systems for Data Centre and Optical Access Networks.
Contract: Full Time/Fixed Term
 

About Tyndall
Tyndall National Institute is an international leader in semiconductors, photonics and deep-tech research and innovation. As a leading collaborative European research institute, Tyndall is a key actor and hosting partner in the delivery of the ‘Chips for Europe Initiative’ (EU Chips Act).

Tyndall is Ireland’s leading research and innovation organisation and it is the national focal point for excellence in deep-tech research, development and graduate training at the convergence of nanotechnology, microelectronics, photonics, electronics and AI. Tyndall is recognised as an international research leader in semiconductor, chip and digital technologies, particularly as applied to the fields of Information & Communications, Health & Life Sciences, Agritech & Food Security, Energy and Climate Mitigation, emerging fields such as quantum, and novel computing paradigms.

The Institute’s key objective is to see frontier research activities having a significant impact on economic development and societal challenges in Ireland, Europe and beyond. Central to Tyndall’s mission is delivering economic impact through research excellence in partnership with industry and academia. With an annual turnover of more than €50m, the Institute has a community of over 600 researchers, engineers, support staff, postgraduate students, interns and industry researchers-in-residence.

With significant committed Irish government support, Tyndall will grow to be 1,000 people by 2030, with approximately 750 researchers, including 250 PhD students. A new 17,000 m2 research building is under development adjacent to the Cork headquarters and there are developing plans to expand Tyndall’s existing Dublin research labs and to establish other research sites within Ireland.

Tyndall’s expansion is also supported by recent national and EU funding wins for significant (M€10’s) additional research equipment across a range of areas such as semiconductor processing, microscopy, quantum technologies, heterogeneous integration, ultra-high speed optical communications and RF through THz characterisation.

About the Team
The Photonic Systems Group (photonics) at Tyndall National Institute is seeking a highly motivated candidate to support research activities in high-speed optical communication and digital signal processing. The candidate will collaborate closely with industry and academic partners to develop prototype high-capacity, multiple-wavelength communication systems that exploit novel photonic integrated components for future datacentre and access optical networks. This job offer focuses on the implementation, set-up, experimental demonstration and validation of optical communication systems with up to several Terabit per second overall capacity.

About the Role
This position is part funded by European Union Project ADOPTION with the objective of developing low power and low cost solution for intra-data centre networks employing co-packaged optics. The proposed heterogeneous integration of optics and silicon on a single packaged substrate in ADOPTION aims at addressing switch capacities scaling beyond 204.8Tb/s with port speeds of 6.4Tb/s. The consortium includes 3 SMEs, 3 large companies and 4 research institutions (Tyndall, Imec, Technical University of Eindhoven and Fraunhofer IZM). The successful candidate will work with the ADOPTION team on system integration and high-speed testbed development. The final demonstrator will showcase disruptive new network architectures for hyper-scale data centres and AI computing clusters utilising optical switching and routing to increase efficiency and reduce latency.
The candidate will also be appointed as the technical lead of the Research Ireland funded Tera Lab infrastructure in the Photonic Systems Laboratory in Tyndall. The Tera Lab is Tyndall’s latest cutting-edge testbed, incorporating the latest high-speed sampling System (256 GSa/s arbitrary waveform generator and real-time oscilloscope) and optical components capable of delivering up to 1 Terabit-per-second per user. Tera Lab will be Ireland’s leading test and measurement research facility to develop, test and showcase advanced wireless and photonic components, sub-systems, and converged network demonstrators.

The candidate will also be actively involved in the broader research programme of the Photonic Systems Group in the area of next-generation communication systems. This will involve collaboration with parallel ongoing projects and partners of the Irish Photonic Integration Centre (IPIC) (www.ipic.ie).

Key responsibilities
As a Postdoctoral Researcher you will:

• Develop, simulate and model new optical communication network concepts.
• Design and set-up  advanced optical communication testbeds, to test and validate the novel network architectures and their enabling optical components.
• Work with national and international partners in academia and industry on research and development projects.
• Supporting the acquisition of new research and industry projects that will be carried out on the Tera Lab Infrastructure.
• Work with the technology development partners on the ADOPTION project to realise system demonstrators and testbeds. Carry out the final system demonstrations  with PSG colleagues and report the results at project meetings.
• Author and co-author publications in leading journals and present talks at top international conferences in the relevant fields in order to disseminate the results of the projects.
• Engage with industrial partners, contributing to technology transfer and potential commercialisation opportunities.
• Contribute to supervision and mentoring of graduate students and t team tasks within PSG.
• Participate in Education and Public Engagement activities, as required.
• Ensure all activities are compliant with the Tyndall Quality Management system.
• Ensure all activities are compliant with the required Health and Safety standards.
• Carry out any additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.

Essential Criteria

• A PhD (or Master degree with equivalent industry experience) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering or a related subject (Computer Science, Telecommunication, Physics, Electrical/Electronics, etc.)
• A broad and deep knowledge of optical communication systems and networks and high speed digital signal processing, including theoretical knowledge as well as experience in experimental work and a dedication to laboratory experiments.
• Proven hands-on experience of the set-up and successful operation of advanced, high-speed optical fibre communication test beds involving the generation, transmission and recovery of high-speed signals in academic or industrial laboratories.
• Experienced in verifying and validating experimental results by comparing with modelling of optical communication systems using software packages such as MATLAB, Python and VPITransmissionMaker.
• The candidate must demonstrate a high level of motivation; have an academic record of excellence, and good writing and communication skills, including a track-record of publications in the optical communications field.
• Highly self-motivated and able to demonstrate initiative.
• A capability to work effectively within a project team to achieve results.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in characterisation of photonic devices.
• Excellent hands-on lab skills in characterisation, problem-solving, etc. and willing to work in the lab, and in a team.
• Experience in the acquisition of new projects in the area of optical communications.

What we offer
Apart from offering a position in a very successful and positive research environment, with a collaborative ethos full of diverse competencies to boost your career, we offer the following:

Impactful Work: Opportunities to contribute to ground-breaking research and innovation that shape Ireland’s economy and the society at large.
Continuous Learning: Strong support for formal training, further study and professional development.
Interdisciplinary Environment: Where academia, industry, and innovation intersect - supported by cutting-edge infrastructure and expert knowledge.
Blended Working: Flexibility to work remotely and on-site, where the role allows.
Comprehensive Benefits: Access to UCC pension, long-term illness benefit, life assurance, and more.
Generous Leave: Competitive annual leave entitlements.
Equity & Inclusion: Athena Swan Bronze award holder, with ongoing initiatives led by a dedicated People and Culture team to ensure equity for all.
Core Values: A culture grounded in Ambition, Collaboration, Diversity, Excellence, and Integrity.
Entrepreneurial Spirit: A proactive, innovation-driven environment that welcomes entrepreneurial and creative thinkers, including those with start-up experience.
Supportive Onboarding: Structured induction and mentoring to help new hires integrate and thrive.
Vibrant Culture: A collaborative, people-first workplace with a strong sense of community. Tyndall National institute has a proactive entrepreneurial culture and we welcome applications from candidates who possess entrepreneurial and creative skills/experience, including the creation of technology start-ups.

Terms of Employment Contract
Contract: Full-Time/Fixed Term
The initial contract is for approximately 2 years, with the possibility of extension beyond this based on performance.

Appointment may be made on the IUA Postdoctoral Salary Scale €46,306 - €52,863 p.a. Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with the public sector pay policy.

For more information informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Prof. Paul Townsend.
Closing date for applications is 1pm, 12th December 2025.

Application Instructions
Please make sure to attach an up-to-date CV/Resume AND a brief motivation letter outlining how you meet the ‘Essential Criteria’ for this role.

Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on university approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.
Tyndall National Institute does not require the assistance of recruitment agencies.
Tyndall National Institute at University College, Cork is an Equal Opportunities Employer.