Professor (Scale 2) in Microelectronics for Photonic Communications

Professor (Scale 2) in Microelectronics for Photonic Communications
Tyndall National Institute, University College, Cork
Permanent Whole Time Post

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 pilot line 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 semiconductor related research, development and graduate training in support of ‘Silicon Island’, Ireland’s national semiconductor strategy. Tyndall is recognised as an international research leader in nanotechnology, microelectronics, photonics, electronics and AI 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.

Tyndall is a critical national research resource and a key national research infrastructure for Ireland. The Institute was established in 2004 as a strategic partnership between the Irish Government and University College Cork (UCC) as a development of the National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC) which was established in 1982.

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 €60m, the Institute has a community of over 700 researchers, engineers, services staff, postgraduate students, interns and industry researchers-in-residence.

Significant progress has been made against the ambitious goals set out in the last strategic plan (Tyndall 2025) and the foundations have been laid for a new strategy that will see even greater achievements up to and beyond 2030.

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. A substantial research start-up package is available for successful candidates.

UCC Futures: Quantum and Photonics

The first quantum revolution of the 20th century charted the development of semiconductors, transistors, lasers and, from there, computers and the internet. The coming second quantum revolution will transform our lives as dramatically as these first- generation technologies and will solve key challenges of the future.

UCC Futures – Quantum & Photonics is an innovative multidisciplinary team, building on the powerful synergies of our globally renowned quantum and photonics research in the Schools of Physics, Engineering & Architecture and Tyndall National Institute. We are pushing the limits of the quantum and photonic technological frontier – a key element of this second quantum revolution.

UCC Futures – Quantum & Photonics will drive a generational change across multiple sectors, including quantum computing, data transfer, quantum metrology, sensing, quantum matter, healthcare, environment, energy and communications to deliver transformational progress, enhancing daily living while generating novel and disruptive solutions to some of the most important global issues of our time.

The Role

Applications are invited for the full-time permanent Professor in Microelectronics for Photonic Communications (Professor in the School of Engineering and Architecture), in collaboration with the Tyndall National Institute.

The appointment may be made on Professor Scale 2.

Applications are welcomed from candidates who satisfy the following profile:

Candidate Profile

Candidates should have research experience and expertise to at least PhD level in Electronic Engineering or related area. They should have a demonstrated track record of delivering innovative research outcomes at the cutting edge of microelectronics circuit design with potential application to use in photonic communication systems.

Candidates with circuit design and experimental circuit validation expertise are welcomed.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to develop exciting research ideas and lead internationally leading independent research that is aligned with the ambitions of UCC Futures – Quantum and Photonics. In particular, she/he will develop and lead a new research programme in microelectronic circuit design for photonic communications that has clear potential for collaboration and synergy with existing groups in the Tyndall National Institute and the School of Engineering and Architecture. Potential for collaboration with industrial partners is desirable.

It is envisioned that the successful candidate will become a Principal Investigator in Rinn Semiconductors, which is part of a constellation of seven major new centres that collectively represent an investment of €460M in advanced research by the Government of Ireland. Rinn Semiconductors aims to lead Ireland’s response to the end of Moore’s Law scaling, the point where traditional improvements in computer chips slows down or ends, by pioneering modular integrated circuit-based (chiplet-based) semiconductor design and integration. With deep expertise in the areas of Heterogeneous Integration and Advanced Packaging, the Rinn Semiconductors team propose to enable transformative advances in these technologies and to apply them in three main application areas: Future Internet, Sustainable Energy and Environment, and Digital Healthcare. A key objective of the Rinn is to foster deep collaboration across the seven universities and institutions involved, by leveraging the semiconductor fabrication facilities at Tyndall, ultimately creating a cohesive “atom to systems” value chain in Ireland, connecting everything from basic materials research through to complete technology solutions. The Rinn will operate in close collaboration with Ireland’s vibrant semiconductor industry sector which supports 20,000 high skilled jobs and includes world leading multinational companies, small and medium sized enterprises and start-ups. This role is strongly aligned with the Future internet theme which has a strong focus on electronic-photonic co-design for data centre interconnect and other communication applications.

Applications instructions and an information pack including full details of the post and selection criteria are available here. Tyndall National Institute, University College, Cork, at its discretion, may undertake to make an additional appointment(s) from this competition following the conclusion of the process.

Applications should consist of your academic CV and a cover letter demonstrating your academic and research achievements. We would also like to hear about your research ambitions and how your academic and research profile aligns with the UCC Futures initiative. Details of the following should also be included, as appropriate, Publications, Research Interests, Grants and Funding, Teaching Interests and Abilities and Teaching Objectives and Methods.

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to:

• Professor Paul Townsend, Head of the Photonics Centre, Tyndall National Institute, and Director of RINN Semiconductors

• Professor Peter Parbrook, Professor of III-Nitride Materials and Head of Discipline in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UCC, Head of Group, Tyndall National Institute and Principal Investigator, RINN Semiconductors

Further information is available here regarding the Tyndall National Institute, School of Physics and the School of Engineering and Architecture.

These positions are being filled as part of UCC Futures – Quantum and Photonics.

Tyndall National Institute, University College, Cork is committed to being a fully inclusive global university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are core values under the University Strategic Plan 2023-2028. UCC holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of age, care-giving status, disability, ethnicity, gender and/or gender identity or expression status, nationality, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion/creed, and/or sexual orientation. We are committed to supporting all staff through flexible working schemes, family-friendly policies, training and development, and staff networks. We value the enrichment that comes from a diverse community and seek to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of each individual, in line with equality legislation. We encourage applicants to consult our Dignity and Respect Policy and learn more about our EDI related initiatives.

Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.

Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with public sector pay policy.

Please note interviews will be conducted either online via Microsoft Teams or in person in the first instance. Candidates may also be required to attend interviews in person if an interview takes place online. Candidates will be notified as appropriate.

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 5PM (Irish Local Time) on Friday, 11th September 2026.

No late applications will be accepted.

The Tyndall National Institute, University College, Cork is an equal opportunities employer.

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.