{"id":2108964,"url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4","title":"Staff Photonics Design & PDK Modeling 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":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"}},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"staff","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Boston, United States","Toronto, Canada","Mountain View, United States"],"countries":["US","CA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":185000,"max":220000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":220000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"HPC","optional":false},{"name":"NumPy","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"SciPy","optional":false},{"name":"Cadence Virtuoso","optional":true},{"name":"KLayout","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-08T19:49:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-08","last_verified_at":"2026-10-26T02:54:52Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":17,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":17},"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 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.\nResponsibilities\nDevelop and maintain a library of pcells using Python-based frameworks. Ensure strict synchronization between physical layout, logical netlists, and behavioral models.\nCreate and verify physics based behavior models for passive and active devices.\nDesign test structure, develop test plans for device FOMs extraction. Work with test engineers to get silicon data.\nValidate models against lab measurements. Perform data fitting and statistical analysis to align model parameters with real-world silicon performance.\nAutomated Verification: Implement regression testing and Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines to ensure PDK updates do not break legacy designs or connectivity logic.\nActively collaborate with design, analog, digital and architecture engineers to deliver high impact tape-outs\nQualifications\nMaster’s +5 years experience or PhD +3 years experience in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or related field.\nDeep understanding of photonic device physics and experience in device simulation. \nExperience building behavioral models for circuit simulators (e.g., Lumerical INTERCONNECT, Cadence, Synopsys OptSim, or custom Python solvers).\nExperienced in Python for modeling, automation, and data analysis. Comfortable with object-oriented programming and scientific libraries (NumPy, SciPy).\nPython based layout experience.\nDemonstrated strong problem solving skills for problems without obvious solutions\nPreferred Qualifications\nProficiency with python-based layout tools such as gdstk, GDSFactory, and KLayout\nExperience with Python-native circuit simulation ecosystems (e.g., SAX, Photontorch, Simphony).\nExperience with verilogA/spectre equivalent circuit modeling for photonics device\nPrior experience in using foundry-provided process design kits (PDKs), adhering to specific design rules and constraints, well understanding of DRC, LVS, etc.\nExperience working on large-scale designs using industry standard environments such as Cadence Virtuoso\nExperience in taping out and testing large-scale photonic integrated circuits, including familiarity with relevant testing equipment and methodologies.\nPossess strong project execution skills, demonstrating the ability to effectively manage multiple design priorities, adhere to project timelines, and meet critical milestones.\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—$220,000 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":4875,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","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":["Optical Communications","AI Chips & Accelerators","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-08T21:29:59Z"}],"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":0}],"liveness":{"score":81,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.897,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":17,"expected_fill_days":44,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":220000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-26T06:04:36Z","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":8171,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00Z"}},"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-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4"},{"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-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4"},{"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-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4"},{"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-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Flightmatter-staff-photonics-design-pdk-modeling-engineer-4"}]}