Spring 2026 Lumerical Intern - Photonics (MS/PHD)

 Requisition #: 16684 

Our Mission: Powering Innovation That Drives Human Advancement  

When visionary companies need to know how their world-changing ideas will perform, they close the gap between design and reality with Ansys simulation. For more than 50 years, Ansys software has enabled innovators across industries to push boundaries by using the predictive power of simulation. From sustainable transportation to advanced semiconductors, from satellite systems to life-saving medical devices, the next great leaps in human advancement will be powered by Ansys. 

Innovate With Ansys, Power Your Career.  

Summary / Role Purpose
As a member of the Optics R&D Team, you will take on challenging R&D problems, advance our leadership in optics and photonic simulation, and collaborate with partners to build a successful design ecosystem. In this internship, you will focus on improving our Photonic Inverse Design (PID) toolkit for photonic and optical components. This internship starts in Jan 2026 and concludes in Apr 2026 (4 months). This position is remote with the option to work from any Ansys office in Canada (Vancouver, Waterloo, Montreal).

Responsibilities

• Set up Photonic Inverse Design (PID) optimizations of advanced Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) components using the Lumerical FDTD solver
• Run optimizations using high-end GPUs
• Investigate and compare different numerical optimization algorithms
• Test and improve our Python-based PID toolkit

Minimum qualifications

• Pursing a MS or PhD degree in electrical engineering, physics, or related field, with a focus on optics/photonics/electronics
• Passion for optics/photonics and software development
• Programming experience with Python
• Experience with numerical optimization algorithms
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English
• Familiarity with development tools such as Visual Studio Code and Gi

Preferred qualifications

• Experience using Ansys Lumerical FDTD and/or other optics/photonic simulation tools
• Design experience for various active or passive photonic components
• Theoretical understanding of and experience with adjoint optimization methods

At Ansys, we know that changing the world takes vision, skill, and each other. We fuel new ideas, build relationships, and help each other realize our greatest potential. We are ONE Ansys. We operate on three key components: our commitments to stakeholders, our values that guide how we work together, and our actions to deliver results. As ONE Ansys, we are powering innovation that drives human advancement

Our Commitments:

• Amaze with innovative products and solutions
• Make our customers incredibly successful
• Act with integrity
• Ensure employees thrive and shareholders prosper

Our Values:

• Adaptability: Be open, welcome what’s next
• Courage: Be courageous, move forward passionately
• Generosity: Be generous, share, listen, serve
• Authenticity: Be you, make us stronger

Our Actions:

• We commit to audacious goals
• We work seamlessly as a team
• We demonstrate mastery
• We deliver outstanding results

VALUES IN ACTION

Ansys is committed to powering the people who power human advancement. We believe in creating and nurturing a workplace that supports and welcomes people of all backgrounds; encouraging them to bring their talents and experience to a workplace where they are valued and can thrive.  

Our culture is grounded in our four core values of adaptability, courage, generosity, and authenticity. Through our behaviors and actions, these values foster higher team performance and greater innovation for our customers.  

We’re proud to offer programs, available to all employees, to further impact innovation and business outcomes, such as employee networks and learning communities that inform solutions for our globally minded customer base. 

WELCOME WHAT’S NEXT IN YOUR CAREER AT ANSYS

At Ansys, you will find yourself among the sharpest minds and most visionary leaders across the globe. Collectively, we strive to change the world with innovative technology and transformational solutions. With a prestigious reputation in working with well-known, world-class companies, standards at Ansys are high — met by those willing to rise to the occasion and meet those challenges head on. Our team is passionate about pushing the limits of world-class simulation technology, empowering our customers to turn their design concepts into successful, innovative products faster and at a lower cost. Ready to feel inspired? Check out some of our recent customer stories, here and here.

At Ansys, it’s about the learning, the discovery, and the collaboration. It’s about the “what’s next” as much as the “mission accomplished.” And it’s about the melding of disciplined intellect with strategic direction and results that have, can, and do impact real people in real ways. All this is forged within a working environment built on respect, autonomy, and ethics.
 

CREATING A PLACE WE’RE PROUD TO BE 
Ansys is an S&P 500 company and a member of the NASDAQ-100. We are proud to have been recognized for the following more recent awards, although our list goes on: Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplace globally and in the U.S., Gold Stevie Award Winner, America’s Most Responsible Companies, Fast Company World Changing Ideas, Great Place to Work Certified (China, Greece, France, India, Japan, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and U.K.).

 
For more information, please visit us at www.ansys.com
 

Ansys is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.
 
Ansys does not accept unsolicited referrals for vacancies, and any unsolicited referral will become the property of Ansys. Upon hire, no fee will be owed to the agency, person, or entity.