Staff Photonics Design & PDK Modeling Engineer

Job Title

Staff Photonics Design & PDK Modeling Engineer

Role Summary

Develop and maintain Lightmatter's internal photonics Process Design Kit (PDK), including pcells, compact behavioral models, and verification infrastructure to ensure layout, netlist, and model consistency for photonic integrated circuits targeted at data center AI and HPC products.

Work primarily in Python and EDA tools, collaborate with device, analog, digital, architecture, and test engineers, and support tape-outs. Base salary range: $185,000-$220,000 USD; total compensation includes equity and performance-based awards.

Experience Level

Senior / Staff level. The posting specifies: Master’s +5 years experience or PhD +3 years experience in relevant technical fields.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include development, verification, and integration of PDK components and models.

• Develop and maintain pcells using Python-based layout frameworks; keep physical layout, netlists, and behavioral models synchronized.
• Create and verify physics-based behavioral models for passive and active photonic devices.
• Design test structures and test plans to extract device figures-of-merit; collaborate with test engineers to collect silicon data.
• Validate models against lab measurements; perform data fitting and statistical analysis to align model parameters with silicon performance.
• Implement automated verification, regression testing, and CI pipelines to prevent regressions in PDK updates.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with design, analog, digital, and architecture teams to enable high-impact tape-outs.
• Support tape-out and bring-up activities for large-scale photonic integrated circuits.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience, followed by preferred skills.

• Must-have: Deep understanding of photonic device physics and practical experience in device simulation.
• Must-have: Experience building behavioral models for circuit simulators (examples: Lumerical INTERCONNECT, Cadence, Synopsys OptSim, or custom Python solvers).
• Must-have: Proficient in Python for modeling, automation, and data analysis; comfortable with object-oriented design and scientific libraries (NumPy, SciPy).
• Must-have: Experience with Python-based layout workflows and tools for generating/maintaining pcells.
• Must-have: Proven problem-solving skills for complex engineering problems without obvious solutions.
• Must-have: Experience implementing automated verification, regression testing, and CI pipelines for EDA/PDK workflows.
• Must-have: Ability to work with cross-disciplinary teams to deliver tape-outs and align models to measured silicon.
• Must-have: Capacity to comply with U.S. export control laws and related requirements.
• Nice-to-have: Proficiency with python-based layout tools such as gdstk, GDSFactory, and KLayout.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with Python-native circuit simulation ecosystems (e.g., SAX, Photontorch, Simphony) or verilogA/spectre-equivalent photonic device modeling.
• Nice-to-have: Prior experience using foundry-provided PDKs, DRC/LVS flows, Cadence Virtuoso, and tape-out/testing of large-scale photonic ICs.
• Nice-to-have: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple design priorities and meet project timelines.

Education Requirements

Master’s degree plus 5 years of related experience, or PhD plus 3 years of related experience in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or a closely related technical field.

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.