Staff Embedded Software Engineer, Lightmatter

$191-202k

+ Includes a new hire equity grants & Annual performance-based equity

Python

Linux

C++

CMake

Git

Senior and Expert level

San Francisco Bay Area

Office located in Mountain View, CA

Light-powered AI computing

Open for applications

Light-powered AI computing

201-500 employees

B2BArtificial IntelligenceManufacturingDeep TechMachine LearningScience

Open for applications

$191-202k

+ Includes a new hire equity grants & Annual performance-based equity

Python

Linux

C++

CMake

Git

Senior and Expert level

San Francisco Bay Area

Office located in Mountain View, CA

201-500 employees

B2BArtificial IntelligenceManufacturingDeep TechMachine LearningScience

Company mission

To build an engine that will power discoveries, drive progress, and redefine what computers and human beings are capable of.

Job

Company

Role

Who you are

BS and 8+ years of experience, or MS and 6+ years of experience
Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field
Industry experience with device driver and kernel side development
Strong understanding of hardware-software integration
Practical knowledge of communication and control in embedded systems, peripherals, and buses
Experience with developing commercial/enterprise-level software and firmware on Linux
Experience with Git and CMake for building and managing software projects
Hands-on experience designing, simulating, or deploying control of autonomous systems

Desirable

Proficiency with Python or C++
Familiarity with debugging tools such as GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers
Experience developing firmware for photonic transceivers or similar systems
Experience with environments such as CMIS, OpenBMC and DMTF
Experience with optical communication systems and technologies

What the job involves

We are hiring a talented software engineer to help us build the next generation of photonic AI processors and interconnects
In this role, you will be responsible for developing and extending the device software and firmware stack for Photonic Compute and Photonic interconnect products
You will collaborate with other software teams and hardware systems teams to develop security, telemetry, virtualization, and remote administration functionality
Collaborate across a multidisciplinary team including Photonic, Analog, Digital, Systems and Network experts to define control plane architecture for Lightmatter's photonic interconnect products
Define diagnostics and monitoring architecture for photonic transceivers
Integrate with DataCenter administration capabilities using environments such as CMIS, OpenBMC and DMTF
Debug and troubleshoot embedded systems using tools such as GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers
Participate in customer engagements to gather requirements and usability criteria

Application process

Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws

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

Top investors

Glassdoor (4.2)

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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