Digital Architect

Job Title

Digital Architect

Role Summary

The Digital Architect will define system-level digital architecture for high-speed photonic mixed-signal communication chips and produce detailed technical specifications to guide implementation and verification. The role partners with digital, analog, photonic, firmware/software, test, and validation teams and reports to the Chief Scientist.

Work spans enabling AMS/photonic devices, specifying firmware/software interfaces, and driving designs from concept through high-volume production.

Experience Level

Mid-level; typically requires 3+ years of relevant industry experience.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Define and document system-level digital architecture for high-speed AMS and photonic links.
• Specify digital blocks and interfaces for high-speed drivers/receivers, SerDes, ADC/DAC, photonic modulators, and detectors.
• Collaborate with RTL and DV teams to enable block-level implementation and verification.
• Work with test and validation engineers to validate hardware against simulation and support device bring-up.
• Author, review, and validate architectural specifications and design requirements.
• Coordinate cross-discipline integration between digital, analog, photonic, and software teams.
• Support transition of designs from prototype to high-volume production.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and attributes:

• Knowledge of power-efficient digital design flows for high-speed AMS electronics and communication channels.
• Understanding of digital circuit design in high-speed analog/photonic links, including control and digital signal processing.
• Proven problem-solving skills for complex, non-obvious technical problems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to produce clear technical documentation.
• Experience collaborating in cross-disciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with CAD tools, SPICE simulators, and IBIS-AMI simulators.
• Willingness and ability to learn quickly and work in a process-oriented environment.
• Ability to comply with U.S. export control laws as required.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with MATLAB, Python, or similar programming languages for analysis and modeling.
• Prior experience with photonic circuits or mixed-signal photonic communication systems.

Education Requirements

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering (explicitly required by the posting). No other degrees, fields of study, or certifications were specified.

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.