Staff Photonics Design & PDK Modeling Engineer, Lightmatter
$185-220k
+ Equity grant & Annual performance equity
3+ days a week in office
Light-powered AI computing
Be an early applicant
Light-powered AI computing
201-500 employees
Be an early applicant
$185-220k
+ Equity grant & Annual performance equity
3+ days a week in office
201-500 employees
Company mission
To build an engine that will power discoveries, drive progress, and redefine what computers and human beings are capable of.
Role
Who you are
- Master’s +5 years experience or PhD +3 years experience in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or related field
- Deep understanding of photonic device physics and experience in device simulation
- Experience building behavioral models for circuit simulators (e.g., Lumerical INTERCONNECT, Cadence, Synopsys OptSim, or custom Python solvers)
- Experienced in Python for modeling, automation, and data analysis. Comfortable with object-oriented programming and scientific libraries (NumPy, SciPy)
- Python based layout experience
- Demonstrated strong problem solving skills for problems without obvious solutions
Desirable
- Proficiency with python-based layout tools such as gdstk, GDSFactory, and KLayout
- Experience with Python-native circuit simulation ecosystems (e.g., SAX, Photontorch, Simphony)
- Experience with verilogA/spectre equivalent circuit modeling for photonics device
- Prior experience in using foundry-provided process design kits (PDKs), adhering to specific design rules and constraints, well understanding of DRC, LVS, etc
- Experience working on large-scale designs using industry standard environments such as Cadence Virtuoso
- Experience in taping out and testing large-scale photonic integrated circuits, including familiarity with relevant testing equipment and methodologies
- Possess strong project execution skills, demonstrating the ability to effectively manage multiple design priorities, adhere to project timelines, and meet critical milestones
What the job involves
- We are hiring a Photonics PDK Modeling Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will develop our internal Process Design Kit (PDK)
- You will act as the architect of our component library, bridging the gap between photonics device design and system-level verification
- You will develop robust compact models for active and passive components, ensuring that our simulation environment accurately predicts the behavior of our physical layouts
- You will work heavily in Python, EDA tools, applying software engineering rigor to the challenges of photonic hardware design
- Develop and maintain a library of pcells using Python-based frameworks. Ensure strict synchronization between physical layout, logical netlists, and behavioral models
- Create and verify physics based behavior models for passive and active devices
- Design test structure, develop test plans for device FOMs extraction. Work with test engineers to get silicon data
- Validate models against lab measurements. Perform data fitting and statistical analysis to align model parameters with real-world silicon performance
- Automated Verification: Implement regression testing and Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines to ensure PDK updates do not break legacy designs or connectivity logic
- Actively collaborate with design, analog, digital and architecture engineers to deliver high impact tape-outs
Our take
Neural networks and CPUs are vital to AI solutions, but manufacturers have largely failed to maintain innovation in recent years. Lightmatter solves this problem by offering a next-generation computing platform powered by photonics (light waves).
Lightmatter offers a forward-facing platform for AI-building that acts as an alternative to traditional solutions. It works by replacing wired CPUs with a combination of photonics and new algorithms. Lightmatter's solution is not only faster, but it is considerably more sustainable, and it has the potential to drive the next generation of AI development.
As of early 2026, Lightmatter had raised $850 million across six funding rounds and grown to a staggering valuation of $4.4 billion. This showcases the growing demand for faster, more effective AI-building solutions. With products already on the market and a roadmap to tackle even more components in the years ahead, the future for Lightmatter certainly looks bright.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Oct 2024
$400m
SERIES D
Dec 2023
$155m
SERIES C
Total funding: $822m
Company benefits
- Commuter benefit
- Happy hour -Spend time together and build friendships
- Generous vacation policy and holidays
- 401(K)
- Opportunity to learn from your peers and teach them what you know across electronics, photonics, machine learning, and more
Company HQ
Old Mountain View, Mountain View, CA
Leadership
Nicholas Harris
(CEO & Co-Founder)Previously worked as an R&D Product Engineer at Micron Technology, and as a Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT.
Thomas Graham
(Head of ML & Co-Founder)Was an M&A Analyst at Morgan Stanley, and worked as an Agency Business Development Manager at Google.
Darius Bunandar
(Chief Scientist & Co-Founder)Worked as a Research Collaborator at Caltech, and was a PhD Candidate at MIT.
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