Embedded Software Engineer, Lasers

Lightmatter; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Health Care Plan

Equity grants

Hybrid workplace model

Retirement Savings Matching

Job summary

Lightmatter is building the control plane and diagnostics software for next‑gen photonic interconnect products. You will implement laser control, stabilization routines, telemetry and monitoring firmware, and tooling that brings hardware to life.

You will work with photonic, analog, digital, and systems engineers, owning defined stack components end to end, while growing expertise in a leadership‑leaning, fast‑moving environment.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering embedded software to customers or production hardware.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python tooling and analysis.
• Strong hardware-software integration with common embedded peripherals (I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO).
• Experience with FreeRTOS, Zephyr or modern RTOS.
• Lab debugging with GDB, JTAG, oscilloscopes.

Responsibilities

• Implement and optimize laser control and stabilization on embedded targets.
• Deliver firmware components for photonic transceivers diagnostics and telemetry.
• Contribute to cross-disciplinary control plane and diagnostics discussions.
• Integrate transceiver management with CMIS/OpenBMC interfaces.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers and debug using lab equipment.
• Develop tests and data collection scripts for repeatability.
• Document findings and communicate with wider team.

Skills

C/C++

Python

RTOS

Git

CMake

GDB/JTAG

Education

BS in CS/EE

MS or PhD (optional)

Tools

OpenBMC

CMIS

Redfish

Job description

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 USD - $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.