Electro-Optic Link Hardware Engineer

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-09-24

Job 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.

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 hands-on Photonics engineer to lead verification and characterization of high-speed electro-optic links across multiple silicon and system programs. You'll work at the bench alongside the EOE team owning modeling methodology, measurement standards, and serving as the escalation point for the toughest signal integrity and link-performance problems in the org.

Responsibilities: 

• Run hands-on lab characterization and debug of high-speed electrical/optical hardware, including novel failure modes
• Build system-level electrical/optical/EO channel models and correlate them against your own bench measurements
• Own link budget and verification methodology while staying hands-on with the validating measurements
• Characterize eye diagrams, BER, jitter, equalization, and channel impairments
• Support silicon bring-up and root-cause debug with analog, package, PCB, and SerDes teams
• Influence chip/package/system architecture tradeoffs based on bench findings
• Mentor Senior/Staff engineers without stepping back from lab work
• Build automation/tools to speed up characterization work

Qualifications:

• MS/PhD in EE, Photonics, Physics (8+ yrs) or BS/MS (10+ yrs)
• Ownership of verification strategy for a full silicon/system program
• Deep expertise in 56G/112G/224G+ serial links, SerDes equalization (CTLE/FFE/DFE), and signal integrity (S-parameters, crosstalk, link budgets)
• Hands-on lab experience leading investigations that stalled others
• Strong Python/MATLAB for team-used automation frameworks
• Proficiency with VNA, scopes, BERTs, TDRs, and tools like ADS, HFSS, Cadence, COMSOL
• Track record mentoring engineers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Silicon photonics/EO systems at the architecture level
• Package/PCB/channel co-design ownership
• COM/IBIS-AMI modeling, patents/standards contributions (OIF, IEEE 802.3)

We offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.

Benefits

• 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. 

Explore around this job

Field: Engineering, Construction and Energy Sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering All jobs at Lightmatter Jobs in California Jobs in Mountain View, CA California state guide

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About the role

This is a — role in the Engineering, Construction and Energy field (Manufacturing and hardware engineering) at Lightmatter.

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The city

Mountain View, CA is not one of the cities with its own page in our guides, so here is the state: California.

The state economy in brief

California is in the West region (Pacific division) and has 39,287,376 residents (the 1st largest of the 50 states and DC by population), with a median age of 37.9. Its economy produced about $4,438,822 million in the latest four quarters (BEA), 1st among states and DC, equal to $112,983 per resident.

Jobs and the labour market

The unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2026M09, which is 49th lowest of 51 (1st is the lowest). Employers had job openings equal to 3.6% of employment, 37th highest of 51, a measure of how hard it is to hire. The median wage across all occupations is $58,240 a year ($28.00 an hour), 14% above the national median ($58,240 against $50,980).

What people do and what it pays

The occupations with the most jobs in California are Home Health and Personal Care Aides (970,150 jobs, median $34,320); Fast Food and Counter Workers (449,840 jobs, median $42,280); Retail Salespersons (376,460 jobs, median $38,440); Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (355,500 jobs, median $44,710); Registered Nurses (338,940 jobs, median $140,270). Among occupations with at least 2,000 jobs, the best paid are Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (median $353,900); Psychiatrists (median $353,500); General Internal Medicine Physicians (median $313,890). Compared with the nation, the state is most specialised in farming, fishing, and forestry (4.1 times the national share of workers) and healthcare support (1.5 times the national share of workers).

Cost of living, taxes and workplace rules

Prices are above the national average in California: the regional price parity is 110.7 against 100 for the whole country (51st lowest of 51). Median gross rent is $2,036 a month and the median household income $99,122, so a year of rent equals 24.6% of income; the median home value is $734,700. The state minimum wage is $16.90 (the higher of state and federal rates applies to most workers). State income tax on wages: Graduated, top rate 13.30%. It is not a right-to-work state, so union contracts can require fees from covered workers. It runs a state paid family and medical leave programme.

People and commuting

27.0% of residents were born abroad and 37.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Among workers, 65.7% drive alone, 2.9% use public transit and 17.2% work from home; 19.4% commute 45 minutes or more.

State guide: California →

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Career paths

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Distances

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The employer

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Other open jobs at Lightmatter

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Same sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering

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FAQ

What is the Electro-Optic Link Hardware Engineer job at Lightmatter?

A private-sector role in engineering, construction and energy (manufacturing and hardware engineering) listed 47 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Mountain View, CA.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on the employer's page" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

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How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-09-24 (47 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs in California.

Sources and terms

• Job data: Lightmatter careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-09-24). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

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Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)