Explore the positions available across Oxford Science Enterprises

⌕ Job Overview

We are looking for a highly organised, hands-on Lab Technician to manage the daily operations of our photonics R&D and testing laboratories in Oxford. This role is crucial in supporting our engineering teams as they push the boundaries of optical computing and high-performance AI hardware.

You’ll be responsible for lab organisation, safety, and procurement while also contributing directly to assembly, testing, and characterisation of photonic systems. With three to four days a week expected on-site, this is a role for someone who thrives in a technical lab environment, enjoys working with precision equipment, and takes pride in creating safe and efficient conditions for experimental work.

✎ What You'll Be Doing

• Maintain organisation, cleanliness, and safety compliance across our labs.
• Manage inventories of supplies, components, and consumables.
• Coordinate procurement activities.
• Spot and resolve process inefficiencies.
• Support assembly, testing, and characterisation of photonic test systems.
• Operate lab equipment such as optical spectrum analysers, power meters, fibre alignment stations, interferometers, and laser sources.
• Use optical and electronic test and measurement equipment confidently.
• Work with engineers to improve experimental setups and support automation through scripting.
• Train colleagues on lab equipment and safety procedures.
• Recommend and implement upgrades to lab infrastructure.
• Provide hands-on support for research and testing activities.
  
  

𓏗𓏗 What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Electronic Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• At least 2 years of practical experience in a lab-based technical role.
• Familiarity with optical and electronic test equipment and data analysis tools.
• Strong background in Python for scripting or automation.
• Excellent organisational and documentation skills, with clear communication.
  
  

✧ Even Better If You

• Have knowledge of optical components, alignment techniques, and laser safety.
• Bring experience with high-speed optoelectronic device design and characterisation.
• Are confident with advanced equipment such as oscilloscopes, waveform generators, or precision stages.
• Have worked with photonic integrated circuits (PICs), lasers, modulators, or detectors.
• Can use CAD software such as Fusion or SolidWorks.
• Have experience with automation protocols like LXI or SCPI.
  
  

This is a chance to contribute directly to frontier R&D, supporting the development of optical systems that will redefine AI hardware. If you enjoy building and maintaining world-class labs and want to be part of a collaborative, pioneering team, we’d love to hear from you.

Salience is a leader in photonic solutions targeting connectivity for AI data center and financial trading infrastructure.

Founded in 2021 and backed by over a decade of research from the University of Oxford in the UK and University of Münster in Germany, Salience’s innovative developments in photonic switching technology enable high-speed, ultra-low latency networking fabrics that remove infrastructure bottlenecks for AI workloads.