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 hiring a Sr DFT Engineer to help us build high-performance ASICs for the next generation of AI acceleration systems. In this role, you will be responsible for physical design in leading-edge CMOS technology. This includes synthesis through place and route, timing closure, and tape-out signoff.
Responsibilities- Perform Design For Test (DFT) insertion on ASIC designs, including internal scan, boundary scan, and memory BIST
- Perform automatic and targeted test pattern generation
- Interface with Physical Design and Front End (RTL) Design
- Perform post-silicon DFT bring-up and test program debug
- Interface with ATE engineers for test program bring-up and debug
- Scripting and automation of DFT and ATPG flow
- Be hands-on from the "nitty gritty" details to high level planning.
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (or other related fields)
- Minimum of 13 years of industry experience working as a Design For Test Engineer on ASIC designs
- Must have completed at least 2 tapeouts
- Minimum of 2 years of experience with standard DFT CAD tools and flows
- Hands-on experience in Python, TCL or other scripting environments
- DFT/post-silicon/ATPG with experience in both ASIC and semi-custom COT flow
- 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
- Masters degree in Electrical Engineering (or related fields) with 10+ years of DFT experience
- Experience working on ASIC designs with multiple production-quality ASIC tapeouts
- Experience interfacing with ATE engineers
- Experience with ATE test program development
- Experience with fault modeling
- Understanding of Timing, Physical Design, and Power impact of DFT structures
- Proven Knowledge of Basic SoC Architecture and HDL languages like SystemVerilog and chipware components to work hand in hand with RTL designers
We offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.
- 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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
- Minimum of 13 years industry experience as a Design For Test Engineer on ASIC designs
- Completed at least 2 tapeouts
- Minimum of 2 years experience with standard DFT CAD tools and flows
- Hands-on scripting experience in Python, TCL, or similar
- DFT/post-silicon/ATPG experience in both ASIC and semi-custom COT flow
- Strong teamwork and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Ability to adapt to change and work in a fast-paced environment
- Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (preferred)
- Experience with multiple production-quality ASIC tapeouts (preferred)
- Experience interfacing with ATE engineers and ATE test program development (preferred)
- Experience with fault modeling (preferred)
- Understanding of timing, physical design, and power impact of DFT structures (preferred)
- Knowledge of basic SoC architecture and HDL languages like SystemVerilog (preferred)
Lightmatter Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Lightmatter and has not been reviewed or approved by Lightmatter.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for specialized photonics and AI‑hardware roles, with posted ranges and third‑party totals aligning to strong market levels. Compensation for niche roles is framed as consistent with top‑tier hardware/photonics expectations.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare is described as comprehensive, covering medical, dental, and vision in current postings. Additional protections like life insurance and disability are also called out.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants for full‑time employees are commonly included alongside base pay. Some postings also mention performance‑based equity components.
Lightmatter Insights
What We Do
Lightmatter is a startup photonics company that has pioneered a new paradigm in processor chip architecture that uses photons instead of electrons. Now the leader in the photonic AI compute “space race,” this new class of high performance semiconductors is the foundation of Lightmatter’s mission to enable the growth of computing, reduce harmful emissions associated with this growth, and democratize computing for all. Lightmatter's technology accelerates critical operations in deep neural networks, using an array of programmable photonic elements fabricated alongside transistors in conventional computer chip fabrication processes. Our close-knit team of engineers has created an integrated photonics chip and ultra-high performance interconnect that is faster, more efficient, and cooler than anything else on earth (or anything ever experienced before) to power the next giant leaps in human progress.
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