Careers at Lightmatter

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! 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! At Lightmatter, an SDET is a software engineer first , not a QA coordinator or manual tester. You'll design and build the frameworks, harnesses, and hardware-in-the-loop infrastructure that let firmware engineers test their own code continuously on real photonic hardware. You'll sit with the firmware team, spend time at the bench with oscilloscopes, debuggers, and optical instruments, and serve as the bridge between firmware and broader software and systems organizations. Responsibilities Own the architecture and roadmap of the firmware test automation framework across products, targets, sites, and teams Design and build stable automation for new firmware features and hardware, held to production-quality engineering standards Build and operate HIL test infrastructure: bench and rack fixtures, device farms, power/reset control, instrument integration, and CI orchestration on real photonic hardware Define test strategy, plans, and reporting; lead test plan reviews across teams Integrate firmware testing into CI/CD so every change is built, flashed, exercised on hardware, and reported automatically Own framework reliability and flaky test metrics as first-class engineering problems Build results, telemetry, and log pipelines for triage, trend analysis, and release decisions Debug failures across the full stack (firmware, board, instrument, fixture, test code) and partner with engineers to resolve them Participate in firmware design reviews to influence testability and diagnostics early Integrate with data center management interfaces (CMIS, OpenBMC, DMTF); debug embedded systems using GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers Define diagnostics and monitoring architecture for photonic transceivers Mentor engineers on test architecture and write clear documentation for non-specialists Qualifications 8+ years of professional software development, primarily on embedded products, including designing test frameworks and infrastructure BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience At least one automation framework or HIL system architected and built from scratch, adopted by other engineers, and in daily use and the ability to discuss its design, tradeoffs, and lessons learned Strong Python: fixture and abstraction layers, hardware drivers, plugin/configuration architectures Working fluency in embedded C/C++: able to read firmware drivers or state machines and write tests for edge cases Experience owning CI/CD pipelines running tests on physical hardware (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or equivalent), including runner health, hardware allocation, and recovery Track record of delivering robust automation under fast-changing requirements and hardware Preferred Qualifications PhD, or MS with 8+ years in embedded test automation or firmware development Experience testing firmware for optical transceivers, photonic systems, or precision analog/mixed-signal hardware Familiarity with CMIS, OpenBMC, or DMTF/Redfish Experience with Pytest ecosystem and test tooling for Zephyr or FreeRTOS (Twister, ztest, Renode, QEMU, or similar) Experience with optical and electrical test and measurement equipment Startup experience Thoughtful use of AI-assisted tools in test generation, triage, or analytics 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. $178,000 — $225,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

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! 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! At Lightmatter, an SDET is a software engineer first , not a QA coordinator or manual tester. You'll design and build the frameworks, harnesses, and hardware-in-the-loop infrastructure that let firmware engineers test their own code continuously on real photonic hardware. You'll sit with the firmware team, spend time at the bench with oscilloscopes, debuggers, and optical instruments, and serve as the bridge between firmware and broader software and systems organizations. Responsibilities Own the architecture and roadmap of the firmware test automation framework across products, targets, sites, and teams Design and build stable automation for new firmware features and hardware, held to production-quality engineering standards Build and operate HIL test infrastructure: bench and rack fixtures, device farms, power/reset control, instrument integration, and CI orchestration on real photonic hardware Define test strategy, plans, and reporting; lead test plan reviews across teams Integrate firmware testing into CI/CD so every change is built, flashed, exercised on hardware, and reported automatically Own framework reliability and flaky test metrics as first-class engineering problems Build results, telemetry, and log pipelines for triage, trend analysis, and release decisions Debug failures across the full stack (firmware, board, instrument, fixture, test code) and partner with engineers to resolve them Participate in firmware design reviews to influence testability and diagnostics early Integrate with data center management interfaces (CMIS, OpenBMC, DMTF); debug embedded systems using GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers Define diagnostics and monitoring architecture for photonic transceivers Mentor engineers on test architecture and write clear documentation for non-specialists Qualifications 8+ years of professional software development, primarily on embedded products, including designing test frameworks and infrastructure BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience At least one automation framework or HIL system architected and built from scratch, adopted by other engineers, and in daily use and the ability to discuss its design, tradeoffs, and lessons learned Strong Python: fixture and abstraction layers, hardware drivers, plugin/configuration architectures Working fluency in embedded C/C++: able to read firmware drivers or state machines and write tests for edge cases Experience owning CI/CD pipelines running tests on physical hardware (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or equivalent), including runner health, hardware allocation, and recovery Track record of delivering robust automation under fast-changing requirements and hardware Preferred Qualifications PhD, or MS with 8+ years in embedded test automation or firmware development Experience testing firmware for optical transceivers, photonic systems, or precision analog/mixed-signal hardware Familiarity with CMIS, OpenBMC, or DMTF/Redfish Experience with Pytest ecosystem and test tooling for Zephyr or FreeRTOS (Twister, ztest, Renode, QEMU, or similar) Experience with optical and electrical test and measurement equipment Startup experience Thoughtful use of AI-assisted tools in test generation, triage, or analytics 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. $178,000 — $225,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

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! 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're looking for a hands-on Photonics engineer to lead verification and characterization of high-speed electro-optic links across multiple silicon and system programs. You'll work at the bench alongside the EOE team owning modeling methodology, measurement standards, and serving as the escalation point for the toughest signal integrity and link-performance problems in the org. Responsibilities: Run hands-on lab characterization and debug of high-speed electrical/optical hardware, including novel failure modes Build system-level electrical/optical/EO channel models and correlate them against your own bench measurements Own link budget and verification methodology while staying hands-on with the validating measurements Characterize eye diagrams, BER, jitter, equalization, and channel impairments Support silicon bring-up and root-cause debug with analog, package, PCB, and SerDes teams Influence chip/package/system architecture tradeoffs based on bench findings Mentor Senior/Staff engineers without stepping back from lab work Build automation/tools to speed up characterization work Qualifications: MS/PhD in EE, Photonics, Physics (8+ yrs) or BS/MS (10+ yrs) Ownership of verification strategy for a full silicon/system program Deep expertise in 56G/112G/224G+ serial links, SerDes equalization (CTLE/FFE/DFE), and signal integrity (S-parameters, crosstalk, link budgets) Hands-on lab experience leading investigations that stalled others Strong Python/MATLAB for team-used automation frameworks Proficiency with VNA, scopes, BERTs, TDRs, and tools like ADS, HFSS, Cadence, COMSOL Track record mentoring engineers Preferred Qualifications: Silicon photonics/EO systems at the architecture level Package/PCB/channel co-design ownership COM/IBIS-AMI modeling, patents/standards contributions (OIF, IEEE 802.3) 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. $155,000 — $190,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

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! 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 the role Lightmatter builds chips that enable extreme-scale artificial intelligence computing clusters. Join a multidisciplinary team to pioneer the future of computing by building the world's most advanced communications lasers. In this role you will help build the control plane and diagnostics software behind next-generation photonic interconnect products - implementing laser control and stabilization routines, the telemetry and monitoring firmware that keeps them healthy in the field, and the tooling that brings new hardware to life. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with photonic, analog, digital, and systems engineers, own well-defined pieces of the stack end to end, and grow your depth in a domain where very few engineers have experience. Your work will be visible in every product we ship. Responsibilities Implement and tune active laser control and stabilization algorithms on embedded targets, working from architecture and control approaches defined with the cross-functional design team. Own delivery of well-scoped firmware components for photonic transceiver diagnostics, telemetry, and monitoring; from requirements through bring-up, test, and release. Contribute to control plane and diagnostics architecture discussions across a multidisciplinary team of photonic, analog, digital, systems, and network engineers. Integrate transceiver management and telemetry with data center administration interfaces such as CMIS, OpenBMC, and DMTF standards. Bring up new hardware alongside hardware engineers, and debug embedded systems using GDB, JTAG, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes. Characterize and debug laser behavior using optical test and measurement equipment, and build the automated test and data collection scripts that make that work repeatable. Adapt existing practices where they fit and devise new approaches where precedent is limited, working independently with review at critical checkpoints. Write clear documentation and share findings with engineers outside your specialty, adapting how you communicate to the audience. Qualifications BS and 5+ years of experience, MS and 3+ years of experience, or a PhD; equivalent practical experience also considered. Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field. Experience contributing embedded software to a product that shipped to customers, or to hardware that reached production or field deployment. Proficiency in C or C++, and comfort with Python for tooling, test, and analysis. Solid understanding of hardware-software integration, including common embedded peripherals and buses (I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO). Experience developing firmware in resource constrained environments; experience in both bare-metal and RTOS systems preferred. FreeRTOS, Zephyr or other modern RTOS experience preferred. Hands-on lab experience debugging embedded systems with GDB, JTAG, logic analyzers, or oscilloscopes. Working knowledge of Git, and experience with CMake or a comparable build system. Demonstrated ability to take ownership of a defined problem, work through ambiguity, and deliver on commitments in a fast-moving environment. Preferred Qualifications Coursework, research, or industry experience in closed-loop control: designing, simulating, or deploying control algorithms on real systems. Experience developing firmware for optical transceivers, photonic systems, or other precision analog/mixed-signal hardware. Familiarity with CMIS, OpenBMC, DMTF/Redfish, or similar platform management environments. Exposure to optical communication systems, laser physics, or thermal and wavelength stabilization techniques. Familiarity with optical test and measurement, and with methodologies for characterizing optical components and systems. Experience building test automation, hardware-in-the-loop test benches, or CI for firmware. A track record of learning unfamiliar technical domains quickly and becoming the person teammates come to with questions. 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. $140,000 — $165,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

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! 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! Product Engineering builds the software that brings up, characterizes, and qualifies Lightmatter's photonic chips on real hardware — from bench-top bring-up through production test on automated test equipment (ATE). You'll write the code that drives instruments, testers, wafer probers, and lab automation to bring a chip to life and prove it works. Test software infrastructure at Lightmatter spans multiple platforms, wafer test, hardware validation, and laser/optical test, and this role often acts as the bridge between engineers working at the bench and the broader test software team. As a Hardware Test Automation Engineer you'll have the opportunity to work across some combination of: an internal test software framework (Java/Python-based), industry-standard ATE test method and testflow development, wafer prober integration, instrument control (optical and electrical sources, meters, sensors), embedded/firmware interfaces on the hardware side, and data pipelines from lab equipment to structured results. Responsibilities Learn the hardware you're automating well enough to make informed software decisions about it. Design and build test software that automates device bring-up, characterization, and production test sequences across bench and ATE environments. Develop and maintain test methods, test flows, and instrument control code depending on level and project while writing code and reviewing code are both daily parts of the role. Work directly with hardware and characterization engineers to understand their needs and translate device physics and test requirements into working, repeatable test software. Build and maintain data logging and results pipelines so test data is captured accurately and usable downstream (metric computation, yield analysis, production handoff). Debug test hardware/software integration issues, working across the device under test, the fixture, the instrument, and the test code to find root cause. Support test program releases to internal test cells and, at senior levels, to external test facilities. Communicate daily with the team on progress and blockers, and spend regular time in the lab working hands-on with hardware. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field. 8+ years of experience in hardware test software, ATE systems, or test architecture, ideally in semiconductor or photonics. Track record of owning test software architecture for a product line, including decisions on how the framework scales across projects and teams. Deep hands-on experience with ATE test method/test flow development and/or embedded test frameworks for hardware test automation, plus fluency with instrumentation automation (SCPI/VISA or equivalent) at a level where you can teach it to others. History of mentoring engineers and driving cross-functional technical decisions with hardware, characterization, and manufacturing teams. Can articulate, end to end, how they scoped, planned, implemented, and validated an automation project. Comfortable working at the hardware/software boundary — reading and reasoning about embedded software (C/C++), controls, or firmware well enough to co-develop directly with the engineers who own it. Preferred Qualifications Master's/PhD with 3+ years, of experience in hardware test software, ATE systems, or test architecture, ideally in semiconductor or photonics. Experience integrating ATE with wafer-level hardware (probers, handlers) is a strong plus. Experience with photonic test instrumentation 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. $122,000 — $171,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

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! 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! Product Engineering builds the software that brings up, characterizes, and qualifies Lightmatter's photonic chips on real hardware — from bench-top bring-up through production test on automated test equipment (ATE). You'll write the code that drives instruments, testers, wafer probers, and lab automation to bring a chip to life and prove it works. Test software infrastructure at Lightmatter spans multiple platforms, wafer test, hardware validation, and laser/optical test, and this role often acts as the bridge between engineers working at the bench and the broader test software team. As a Hardware Test Automation Engineer you'll have the opportunity to work across some combination of: an internal test software framework (Java/Python-based), industry-standard ATE test method and testflow development, wafer prober integration, instrument control (optical and electrical sources, meters, sensors), embedded/firmware interfaces on the hardware side, and data pipelines from lab equipment to structured results. Responsibilities Learn the hardware you're automating well enough to make informed software decisions about it. Design and build test software that automates device bring-up, characterization, and production test sequences across bench and ATE environments. Develop and maintain test methods, test flows, and instrument control code depending on level and project while writing code and reviewing code are both daily parts of the role. Work directly with hardware and characterization engineers to understand their needs and translate device physics and test requirements into working, repeatable test software. Build and maintain data logging and results pipelines so test data is captured accurately and usable downstream (metric computation, yield analysis, production handoff). Debug test hardware/software integration issues, working across the device under test, the fixture, the instrument, and the test code to find root cause. Support test program releases to internal test cells and, at senior levels, to external test facilities. Communicate daily with the team on progress and blockers, and spend regular time in the lab working hands-on with hardware. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field. 8+ years of experience in hardware test software, ATE systems, or test architecture, ideally in semiconductor or photonics. Track record of owning test software architecture for a product line, including decisions on how the framework scales across projects and teams. Deep hands-on experience with ATE test method/test flow development and/or embedded test frameworks for hardware test automation, plus fluency with instrumentation automation (SCPI/VISA or equivalent) at a level where you can teach it to others. History of mentoring engineers and driving cross-functional technical decisions with hardware, characterization, and manufacturing teams. Can articulate, end to end, how they scoped, planned, implemented, and validated an automation project. Comfortable working at the hardware/software boundary — reading and reasoning about embedded software (C/C++), controls, or firmware well enough to co-develop directly with the engineers who own it. Preferred Qualifications Master's/PhD with 3+ years, of experience in hardware test software, ATE systems, or test architecture, ideally in semiconductor or photonics. Experience integrating ATE with wafer-level hardware (probers, handlers) is a strong plus. Experience with photonic test instrumentation 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. $167,000 — $227,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

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! 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! Product Engineering builds the software that brings up, characterizes, and qualifies Lightmatter's photonic chips on real hardware — from bench-top bring-up through production test on automated test equipment (ATE). You'll write the code that drives instruments, testers, wafer probers, and lab automation to bring a chip to life and prove it works. Test software infrastructure at Lightmatter spans multiple platforms, wafer test, hardware validation, and laser/optical test, and this role often acts as the bridge between engineers working at the bench and the broader test software team. As a Hardware Test Automation Engineer you'll have the opportunity to work across some combination of: an internal test software framework (Java/Python-based), industry-standard ATE test method and testflow development, wafer prober integration, instrument control (optical and electrical sources, meters, sensors), embedded/firmware interfaces on the hardware side, and data pipelines from lab equipment to structured results. Responsibilities Learn the hardware you're automating well enough to make informed software decisions about it. Design and build test software that automates device bring-up, characterization, and production test sequences across bench and ATE environments. Develop and maintain test methods, test flows, and instrument control code depending on level and project while writing code and reviewing code are both daily parts of the role. Work directly with hardware and characterization engineers to understand their needs and translate device physics and test requirements into working, repeatable test software. Build and maintain data logging and results pipelines so test data is captured accurately and usable downstream (metric computation, yield analysis, production handoff). Debug test hardware/software integration issues, working across the device under test, the fixture, the instrument, and the test code to find root cause. Support test program releases to internal test cells and, at senior levels, to external test facilities. Communicate daily with the team on progress and blockers, and spend regular time in the lab working hands-on with hardware. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field. 8+ years of experience in hardware test software, ATE systems, or test architecture, ideally in semiconductor or photonics. Track record of owning test software architecture for a product line, including decisions on how the framework scales across projects and teams. Deep hands-on experience with ATE test method/test flow development and/or embedded test frameworks for hardware test automation, plus fluency with instrumentation automation (SCPI/VISA or equivalent) at a level where you can teach it to others. History of mentoring engineers and driving cross-functional technical decisions with hardware, characterization, and manufacturing teams. Can articulate, end to end, how they scoped, planned, implemented, and validated an automation project. Comfortable working at the hardware/software boundary — reading and reasoning about embedded software (C/C++), controls, or firmware well enough to co-develop directly with the engineers who own it. Preferred Qualifications Master's/PhD with 3+ years, of experience in hardware test software, ATE systems, or test architecture, ideally in semiconductor or photonics. Experience integrating ATE with wafer-level hardware (probers, handlers) is a strong plus. Experience with photonic test instrumentation 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. $154,000 — $213,000 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. Export Control Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.