Sr. Staff Physical Design Engineer
- Salary
- CAD 191,000 - CAD 219,000
- Level
- Staff
Not stated in the posting: work type, visa.
Open. First seen 3 October 2026.
About the role
Lightmatter's standard text
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!
Lightmatter's standard text
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 are seeking a highly skilled Senior Physical Design Engineer to work on the implementation of complex digital blocks. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in advanced process nodes (3nm) to drive timing closure, power integrity, and physical verification for high-performance ASICs. Beyond standard digital flows, you will have the unique opportunity to work alongside a team of world-class scientists and engineers in defining how the system will be optimized and trail blaze problems that are new to the photonics industry!
If your passion is innovation, solving challenging technical problems and doing impactful work you should join our team!
Responsibilities
- Implement digital blocks in advanced tech nodes from synthesis through physical verification, using industry standard tools and flows
- Drive fullchip STA signoff, review constraints, debug timing reports and implement ecos
- Drive power analysis and optimization while balancing area and performance trade-offs
- Drive full chip floor planning, IO placement and clock distribution
- Understand clock details and be able to customize clock implementation for functional and test clocks
- Debug and clean up DRC/LVS
- Functional and timing ECO implementation
- Work with EDA companies to resolve any tool issues
- Write TCL, Python, or Shell scripts to automate flow or customize existing flows
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
- 12+ years of industry experience working as a Physical Design Engineer
- Must have completed blocks or top level physical design for large ASICs or mixed signal chips that taped out
- Thorough knowledge of timing closure, LVS/DRC closure
- Experience in TCL and Python (or other scripting languages)
- Strong teamwork skills with the ability to collaborate with multiple functional teams across a variety of fields
- Ability to react to change and thrive in a fast paced environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with 8 years of industry experience
- Hands-on experience with Cadence tools
- Tape-out experience 3nm designs
- Be willing to do manual layouts as well as willingness to learn and do silicon photonics layout
- EM/IR analysis using standard industry signoff tools
We offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.
Salary Range: total compensation goes beyond base salary, it also includes a new hire equity grant, annual performance-based equity, and other rewards that recognize your impact and contribution.
$191,000—$219,000 CAD
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.
Lightmatter's standard text
Export Control
Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.
What this role asks for
Particular to this role
Bash · React
Rare in Lightmatter's other 62 open postings.
In most of Lightmatter's ads
Python
Named in most of its open postings, whatever the role.
82% of this description is written for the role. The rest is Lightmatter's standard text, folded away below.
Read against Lightmatter's other open postings on this site.
The team: Photonics & Silicon Engineering HIRES STEADILY
This role is one of 16 open in Photonics & Silicon Engineering. 2 were posted in the last 30 days and the oldest in March: a team that hires all year rather than one being built.
WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS
Python (12 of 16), Bash (3 of 16), Perl (3 of 16), React (3 of 16), Verilog (3 of 16), Embedded Systems (2 of 16), MATLAB (2 of 16)
OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM
- Staff Photonics Design & PDK Modeling Engineer posted Oct 8
- Electro-Optic Link Hardware Engineer posted Sep 24
- Sr. Staff Physical Design Engineer posted Jul 24
- Senior Laser & SOA Characterization Engineer posted Jul 2
- Sr. Staff Physical Design Timing Engineer (STA) posted Jun 9
- Sr. Staff Photonics Systems Engineer posted Apr 28
- Sr. Staff Physical Design Engineer posted Jan 7
- Staff/Sr. Staff Design Verification posted Dec 9
- Staff/Sr. Staff Design Verification posted Dec 9
- Sr. Staff Photonics Systems Engineer posted Dec 4
- Staff/Sr. Staff Design Verification Engineer posted Nov 5
- Sr. Staff Physical Design Timing Engineer (STA) posted Nov 4
- Sr. Staff Physical Design Timing Engineer (STA) posted Nov 4
- Analog IC Design Engineer, High-Speed posted Apr 29
- Analog IC Design Engineer, High-Speed posted Mar 24
From the team and dates on Lightmatter's own job board.
Similar jobs
- Technology Lead - Data Engineer at Infosys
Shares 2 skills: Bash, Python · same country - Senior Embedded Linux Applications Engineer at Ammortal Inc
Shares 3 skills: Bash, React, Python - Senior Security Engineer, Network & Zero Trust at Sezzle
Shares 3 skills: Bash, React, Python - Principal AI Systems Engineer - Highrise AI at Hut 8
Shares 2 skills: Bash, Python · Staff level - Senior DevOps/SRE Engineer at Oddball
Shares 2 skills: Bash, Python - Staff Electrical Design Engineer at Lightmatter
Also at this company
Is this your posting and you want it taken down? Email info@careerholo.com.