Analog IC Design Engineer, High-Speed
LightmatterJob Title
Analog IC Design Engineer, High-Speed
Role Summary
Design and validate high-speed analog/mixed-signal transceiver building blocks for silicon-photonics and wireline communication systems. Work on feasibility studies, block-level integration, post-layout simulation, and lab validation in collaboration with system, digital, analog, photonics, and architecture teams.
Hiring across multiple levels; level and compensation will be set based on experience, education, and location.
Experience Level
Mid-level. Typical experience guidance is provided in the Education Requirements section and varies by level.
Responsibilities
The role focuses on developing and validating high-speed analog transceiver circuitry and ensuring successful integration with silicon photonics elements.
- Support micro-architecture development via feasibility studies with chip architects.
- Define electrical requirements in collaboration with system, digital, analog, and photonics teams.
- Design analog/mixed-signal blocks, emphasizing transceivers and broadband circuits that interface to silicon photonics.
- Prepare design simulations and verification documentation for formal reviews.
- Drive block-level floorplanning and provide mask design views for review.
- Perform post-layout and mixed-signal top-level simulations to validate integration.
- Define production and bench-level test plans and validate circuit performance in the lab.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and capabilities required to perform the role.
- Proven experience designing GHz-speed RF or GHz-speed broadband analog circuits.
- Experience with Tx/Rx equalization techniques and circuits.
- Familiarity with SERDES architectures and implementations.
- Strong understanding of CMOS device characteristics, noise, linearity, high-frequency circuit theory, and design trade-offs.
- Experience using the Cadence design environment for analog/mixed-signal design.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across system, digital, photonics, and test teams.
- Capacity to comply with U.S. export control laws.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience designing AFE blocks such as TIAs and Tx drivers.
- Experience testing and validating high-speed analog/mixed-signal circuits in the lab.
- Knowledge of 3D electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools.
- Experience interfacing with silicon photonic modulators (MZM, Ring).
- Track record of delivering analog/mixed-signal IP with first-time success under tight schedules.
Education Requirements
MS with 6+ years of industry experience, or PhD with 3+ years of industry experience. The posting does not specify a required field of study.
About the Company
Company: Lightmatter
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Lightmatter develops photonic AI data-center infrastructure and optical chips for extreme-scale AI and HPC. The company invented the Passage 3D‑stacked photonics engine to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects across large-scale processors and raised $400M in Series D financing at a reported $4.4B valuation.
