Sr. Staff Physical Design Timing Engineer (STA)
- Salary
- $217,000 - $267,000
- 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!
About this role
We are hiring a Physical Design Timing Engineer to help drive backend digital execution for some of the leading photonics based interconnect solutions. You will work alongside a team of world-class scientists and engineers in defining how the system will be optimized and trailblaze problems that are new to the industry. If your passion is innovation, solving challenging technical problems and doing impactful work you should join our team.
In this job you will be responsible for timing constraints development, STA and timing closure on leading edge CMOS technologies and flows. This includes synthesis through place and route, timing closure, and tapeout signoff.
Responsibilities
- Drive the STA sign-off for our flagship Silicon photonics chips at various technology nodes.
- Analyze fab guidelines and work with the methodology team to incorporate sign off corners, margins, and derates into timing analysis flows and methodologies.
- Collaborate with the architecture, RTL, and DFT teams to analyze the timing complexities and develop consolidated timing modes and constraints for synthesis, along with PnR and chip timing sign-off flows.
- Analyze and understand the tradeoffs between power/performance and area goals to drive them into overall chip implementation flows.
- Run full-chip STA and accurately project the timing summary across scenarios.
- Leverage Tempus/PrimeTime to automate timing ECO generation for effective closure and support physical design implementation.
- Document best practices and lessons learned to drive continuous improvements in future projects.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer engineering
- 12 years of Physical Design experience, with a minimum of 5 years hands-on experience in ASIC STA and timing constraints development, timing closure with Cadence or Synopsys tools
- Experience in driving timing closure by effectively managing on-chip variation derates, optimizing multi-mode multi-corner constraints, and implementing robust clock tree building strategies
- Well versed with scripting languages like TCL and Python, PERL, or Shell
- Strong problem solving skills with attention to every technical aspect
- Be a strong team player with clear and precise communication skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer engineering
- A minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience in ASIC STA and timing constraints development, timing closure with Cadence or Synopsys 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.
$217,000—$267,000 USD
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
Perl
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.
83% 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
- Sr. Staff Physical Design Engineer posted Jul 24
- Senior Laser & SOA Characterization Engineer posted Jul 2
- 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.
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