Engineer - Optical Communication Systems (Test, Modeling & Sensing)

About the role

Huawei Canada's Advanced Optical Technology Lab seeks an Engineer to bridge theoretical modeling and hands‑on experimental validation for next‑generation optical fiber communication and sensing systems. The role covers the full system lifecycle, from high‑fidelity simulation to real‑time performance monitoring and fault detection.

Key responsibilities

• Design, build and automate advanced optical laboratory testbeds to validate system‑level performance.
• Characterize optical components such as transceivers, amplifiers, fibers and modulators.
• Develop and maintain high‑fidelity numerical models of optical transmission, including linear and nonlinear impairments (CD, PMD, SPM, XPM).
• Optimize system parameters for maximum capacity, reach and efficiency.
• Implement real‑time optical performance monitoring and predictive fault‑detection algorithms.
• Explore fiber‑optic sensing capabilities (DAS, DTS, DSS) and co‑design communication‑sensing solutions.
• Analyze large experimental and field‑trial datasets to root‑cause anomalies and close the loop between simulation and reality.

Required profile

• Ph.D. in Photonics, Optical Communications, Electrical Engineering, Physics or a closely related field.
• At least 3 years of post‑doctoral or industry experience in optical fiber communication or sensing systems.
• Strong hands‑on laboratory skills with familiarity of optical test equipment (OSA, real‑time oscilloscope, BERT, OTDR).
• Proficiency in modeling optical wave propagation (e.g., solving the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation).
• Programming expertise in Python, MATLAB or C++ for simulation, data analysis and lab automation.
• Solid understanding of coherent optical communication, advanced modulation formats (QAM, QPSK), DSP for optics and fiber non‑linearities.

Required skills

• Python
• MATLAB
• C++
• Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA)
• Real‑time Oscilloscope
• Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT)
• Optical Time‑Domain Reflectometer (OTDR)
• Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation modeling
• Coherent optical communication
• QAM and QPSK modulation formats
• Digital signal processing for optics
• Fiber non‑linearities analysis