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're looking for a Senior Data Systems Engineer who bridges the gap between hardware domain expertise and modern data infrastructure. You won't just build pipelines — you'll work directly with foundries, OSATs, test engineers, and validation teams to understand what the data means, define how it should flow, and build the platform that makes AI-driven decisions possible across 13+ active hardware programs.
This is not a typical data engineering role. The right person has a background in semiconductor manufacturing, photonics, hardware test/validation, or a related hardware discipline — and a strong pull toward data systems, process optimization, and automation. You understand that the hardest part of a data platform isn't the code; it's knowing which data matters and why.
What You'll DoProgram Data Onboarding & Vendor Engagement
- Engage directly with foundries, OSATs, and internal engineering teams to align on data formats, delivery mechanisms, and quality standards for new programs
- Own the data onboarding lifecycle for programs ramping to High Volume Manufacturing (HVM)
- Identify gaps in data coverage across the pipeline: design, foundry, test/validation, photonics characterization, packaging/assembly, and system-level validation
- Influence external and internal teams to adopt scalable, platform-compatible data practices — this is hands-on stakeholder work, not email coordination
Data Platform Engineering
- Design, build, and maintain data pipelines that ingest, transform, and deliver hardware data from wafer-level test through system validation
- Build and maintain data models in dbt on Snowflake that serve downstream analytics, reporting, and AI/ML workflows
- Develop and operate orchestration workflows (Dagster) for reliable, observable data delivery
- Implement data quality checks, monitoring, and alerting to ensure platform reliability across production programs
Performance Metrics & Reporting
- Build performance metrics pipelines that translate raw hardware data into actionable insights for engineering and program teams
- Own stakeholder reporting and deliver training for teams onboarding to platform tools (Snowflake, Sigma, custom dashboards)
- Support AI/ML workflows by ensuring the data foundation is clean, structured, and reliable
Platform Improvement & Tooling
- Contribute to platform infrastructure: CI/CD, RBAC, cost optimization, self-service tooling
- Participate in sprint ceremonies, contribute to architectural decisions, and help shape the team's technical roadmap
- Mentor junior team members on both data engineering practices and hardware domain context
Required
- Bachelor’s Degree in Photonics, Data Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related field
- 8+ years of professional experience in data engineering, process engineering, test engineering, or a related technical role in semiconductor, photonics, or hardware manufacturing
- Proficiency in Python and SQL
- Experience with Snowflake, dbt, Dagster/Airflow, or similar modern data stack components
- Experience working with data for hardware test, manufacturing, or characterization systems
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with technical teams and external partners (vendors, foundries, or OSATs) to define data requirements and influence practices
- Strong analytical thinking — you can look at a dataset and understand what it means in the physical world, not just how to transform it
Preferred
- Master’s or PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Photonics, or a related field with 4+ years of experience
- Background in silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits (PICs), or optical systems
- Experience with High Volume Manufacturing (HVM) ramps or new product introduction (NPI) data workflows
- Familiarity with semiconductor test data formats (STDF, WAT, parametric data)
- Experience building data quality frameworks or monitoring systems
- Experience with AI/ML tools applied to manufacturing or engineering data
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 Photonics, Data Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related field
- 8+ years of professional experience in data engineering, process engineering, test engineering, or a related technical role
- Proficiency in Python and SQL
- Experience with Snowflake, dbt, Dagster/Airflow, or similar modern data stack components
- Experience working with data for hardware test, manufacturing, or characterization systems
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with technical teams and external partners
- Strong analytical thinking abilities
- Master's or PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Photonics, or a related field with 4+ years of experience
- Background in silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits (PICs), or optical systems
- Experience with High Volume Manufacturing (HVM) ramps or NPI data workflows
- Familiarity with semiconductor test data formats (STDF, WAT, parametric data)
- Experience building data quality frameworks or monitoring systems
- Experience with AI/ML tools applied to manufacturing or engineering data
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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