Sr. Staff Physical Design Engineer
Lightmatter
$217,000 - $267,000 / year
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Description
Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.
Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!
If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.
Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!
We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Physical Design Engineer to work on the implementation of complex digital blocks. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in advanced process nodes (3nm) to drive timing closure, power integrity, and physical verification for high-performance ASICs. Beyond standard digital flows, you will have the unique opportunity to work alongside a team of world-class scientists and engineers in defining how the system will be optimized and trail blaze problems that are new to the photonics industry! If your passion is innovation, solving challenging technical problems and doing impactful work you should join our team!
Responsibilities
- Implement digital blocks in advanced tech nodes from synthesis through physical verification, using industry standard tools and flows
- Drive fullchip STA signoff, review constraints, debug timing reports and implement ecos
- Drive power analysis and optimization while balancing area and performance trade-offs
- Drive full chip floor planning, IO placement and clock distribution
- Understand clock details and be able to customize clock implementation for functional and test clocks
- Debug and clean up DRC/LVS
- Functional and timing ECO implementation
- Work with EDA companies to resolve any tool issues
- Write TCL, Python, or Shell scripts to automate flow or customize existing flows
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
- 12+ years of industry experience working as a Physical Design Engineer
- Must have completed blocks or top level physical design for large ASICs or mixed signal chips that taped out
- Thorough knowledge of timing closure, LVS/DRC closure
- Experience in TCL and Python (or other scripting languages)
- Strong teamwork skills with the ability to collaborate with multiple functional teams across a variety of fields
- Ability to react to change and thrive in a fast paced environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with 8 years of industry experience
- Hands-on experience with Cadence tools
- Tape-out experience 3nm designs
- Be willing to do manual layouts as well as willingness to learn and do silicon photonics layout
- EM/IR analysis using standard industry signoff tools
We offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.
Benefits
- Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Savings Matching Program
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Paid Family Leave
- Short Term & Long Term Disability
- Training & Development
- Commuter Benefits
- Flexible, hybrid workplace model
- Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)
Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
Export Control
Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.
Benefits
- health insurance
- stock options
- life insurance
About this role
Lightmatter is seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to drive the implementation of complex digital blocks for its photonics-based AI data center infrastructure. You'll own the full physical design flow—from synthesis through signoff—on advanced 3nm process nodes, managing timing closure, power integrity, floor planning, and verification for high-performance ASICs. This role sits at the intersection of traditional semiconductor design and novel photonics challenges, giving you the chance to solve problems that are genuinely new to the industry while working alongside world-class scientists and engineers.
The position demands 12+ years of hands-on physical design experience, including successful tape-outs of large ASICs or mixed-signal chips. You'll need deep expertise in timing closure, LVS/DRC flows, and scripting (TCL, Python, or Shell), plus the ability to collaborate across functional teams and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment. Experience with Cadence tools, 3nm designs, and silicon photonics layout is preferred; willingness to learn and do manual layout work is a plus.
Based in Boston with a hybrid arrangement, this full-time role offers competitive compensation ($217K–$267K base) plus equity, comprehensive benefits, and professional development opportunities. You'll need to comply with U.S. export control requirements for this position.
How this employer is doing
solid
- H1B: Sponsors Visas
- Recently Raised Funding
- Sponsors Visas
In the news
Lightmatter - 2026 Funding Rounds & List of Investors, Tracxn
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Pay for this role
$217,000 to $267,000 per year
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