Hardware Systems Technical Lead

Job Title

Hardware Systems Technical Lead

Role Summary

Lead technical delivery for hardware systems that integrate Lightmatter's silicon-photonics technology into AI/HPC accelerator and interconnect platforms. You will define system architectures, drive PCB and system-level design, and coordinate cross-functional engineering to move products from concept to production.

This role works closely with hardware, firmware, packaging, mechanical, and IC teams to deliver high-performance data center hardware.

Experience Level

Senior — typically expected to have 12+ years of relevant industry experience and prior leadership of complex hardware system projects.

Responsibilities

Own and deliver board- and system-level products from concept through production, coordinating across disciplines.

• Collaborate with system architects and technical leads to define hardware requirements for photonic AI infrastructure.
• Define, develop, and review PCBAs to meet electrical, power, and interface requirements.
• Lead hands-on integration, bench bring-up, verification, validation, and EVT/DVT/production release activities.
• Drive cross-functional tradeoffs and dependency resolution with firmware, photonics, packaging, mechanical, and software teams.
• Maintain thorough hardware documentation: schematics, design reviews, test plans, and validation reports.
• Research and evaluate components and technologies for current and next-generation products; contribute to the technology roadmap.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineers on the team.

Requirements

Core technical skills and experience required to perform the role effectively.

• Must have: 12+ years of relevant industry experience delivering complex hardware systems from concept to production.
• Must have: Deep knowledge of VRMs, high-speed SerDes, and interfaces/protocols including PCIe and Ethernet.
• Must have: Practical experience with board-level interfaces and debug tools for SPI/QSPI, I3C, I2C, and JTAG.
• Must have: Experience leading multi-disciplinary development, integration, and troubleshooting across electrical, mechanical, and firmware domains.
• Must have: Hands-on experience with system bring-up, verification, and production release activities (EVT/DVT/PVT).
• Must have: Strong ownership mindset and ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-paced environments; ability to comply with U.S. export-control requirements.
• Nice to have: Experience with AI/HPC data center infrastructure, optical transceivers, or silicon photonics products.
• Nice to have: Familiarity with Systems Engineering methods (requirements traceability, FMEA) and EVT/DVT/PVT planning.
• Nice to have: Experience with advanced packaging technologies and high-density PCB design.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline is stated; the role is described with 12+ years of relevant industry experience. (The posting does not list alternative degree equivalents explicitly.)

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.