{"id":68923,"url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer","title":"Chip Firmware Validation Engineer","company":{"id":16141,"name":"Lightmatter","domain":"lightmatter.co","url":"https://alion.io/company/lightmatter-co","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":83,"open_postings":58,"ghost_share":0.276,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":44,"computed_at":"2026-10-28T05:59:10Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Mountain View, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":185000,"max":245000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":245000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"CMake","optional":false},{"name":"Git","optional":false},{"name":"HPC","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Snowflake","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-05T23:33:36Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-25","last_verified_at":"2026-10-28T05:30:56Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":83,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":83},"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.\nLightmatter 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!\nIf 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.\nLightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!\nWe are hiring a Chip Firmware Validation Engineer to help us build the next generation of photonic AI processors and interconnects.\nIn this role, you will be responsible for developing and validating the device software and firmware stack for Photonic Compute and Photonic Interconnect products. You will collaborate with other software and hardware systems teams to develop firmware, conduct validation and reliability testing, perform data analysis, and execute further software stack optimization.\nJoin a tight-knit team where each individual’s contributions directly impact the success of the company and our innovative products. At Lightmatter, you’ll have the opportunity to work with people who love to build and who thrive in technically diverse environments where great ideas are valued and prioritized.\nResponsibilities\nCollaborate across a multidisciplinary team including photonics, analog, digital, systems, and network experts to define the control architecture for Lightmatter's photonic interconnect products.\nDrive the software and firmware validation testing for our photonic products.\nDebug and troubleshoot embedded systems using tools such as GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers.\nParticipate in defining product architecture and validation test plans definition to gather requirements and usability criteria.\nQualifications\nBS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with 5+ years of experience in ASIC firmware validation.\nStrong understanding of hardware-software integration.\nPractical knowledge of communication and control in embedded systems, peripherals, and buses.\nExperience in embedded software development.\nExperience developing commercial or enterprise-level software and firmware on Linux.\nExperience with Git and CMake for building and managing software projects.\nHands-on experience with data gathering, analysis, and reporting.\nProficiency with Python, C, C++ and MongoDB.\nPreferred Qualifications:\nExperience with Snowflake reporting software\nExperience with environments such as CMIS and OpenBMC, and familiarity with validation and reliability/FIT(Failure in Time) testing.\nFamiliarity with optical test, measurement and methodologies for characterizing optical components and systems.\nExperience developing firmware for photonic transceivers or similar systems.\nWe offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.\nSalary Range: total compensation goes beyond base salary, it also includes a new hire equity grant, annual performance-based equity, and other rewards that recognize your impact and contribution.\n$185,000—$245,000 USD\nBenefits\nComprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)\nRetirement Savings Matching Program\nLife Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)\nGenerous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)\nPaid Family Leave\nShort Term & Long Term Disability\nTraining & Development\nCommuter Benefits\nFlexible, hybrid workplace model\nEquity grants (applicable to full-time employees)\nBenefits 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.\nExport Control\nCandidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4307,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["AI Chips & Accelerators","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-08-05T23:33:36Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 27 · green card filings: 1","filings_12m":27,"filings_prev_12m":14,"green_card_filings_12m":1,"median_offered_wage_usd":177679,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":7}],"liveness":{"score":30,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.669,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":83,"expected_fill_days":44,"reasons":["conf:0","velocity","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-28T05:59:10Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":245000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-28T08:39:43Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":11260,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-29T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":16141},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=16141"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Flightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Flightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Flightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/lightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Flightmatter-chip-firmware-validation-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":68923}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"lightmatter.co","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":68923},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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