Packaging Architect

Lightmatter; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 218,000 - 317,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental &amp

Retirement Savings Matching

Equity grants

Hybrid workplace model

Job summary

Lightmatter is transforming AI data center infrastructure with a focus on advanced packaging. As a Packaging Architect, you will own packaging solutions from concept to release, collaborating with chip designers, system architects, and cross-functional teams to balance performance, cost, and manufacturability across the full product lifecycle.

You will define electrical, thermal, and mechanical specs, drive architecture trade-offs, and ensure alignment with project budgets and schedules, while

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Materials or related field.
• 15+ years in advanced (2D/3D) packaging techs with optical packaging exposure.
• 10+ years in power/signal integrity, thermal-mechanical analysis, or optical packaging.
• Ability to perform system-level trade-offs across silicon, package, and board.
• Extensive experience with high-speed interfaces (SERDES, PCIe, D2D).
• Proven track record delivering packaging from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate trade-offs across layouts, die-to-die interfaces, fiber attachment, and packaging techs.
• Define packaging specifications spanning electrical, thermal, and mechanical performance.
• Determine optimal package architecture through design constraint analysis.
• Partner with supply chain engineering for substrate fabrication and materials.
• Collaborate with Q&R on packaging requirements and qualification criteria.
• Engage with product teams and customers to anticipate future packaging architectures.
• Monitor the competitive landscape to inform strategic decisions.

Skills

Packaging architecture

Trade-off analysis

High-speed interfaces

EDA/CAD tools

Education

PhD or Master’s in EE/Mech/Materials

Tools

EDA tools

CAD tools

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 This Role

As a Packaging Architect, you will own the development of advanced packaging solutions from concept through product release, partnering with cross-functional teams across substrate design, signal integrity, and power integrity. Working directly with product architects, chip designers, and system architects, you will translate complex technical requirements into precise packaging specifications that balance performance, cost, and manufacturability. You will serve as a key technical decision-maker, driving architecture trade-offs, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring packaging solutions meet both engineering and business objectives across the full product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and execute trade-offs across EIC/PIC layouts, die-to-die interfaces, fiber attachment methods, and packaging technologies, analyzing impact on performance, power efficiency, cost, manufacturability, and form factor.
• Define and own packaging specifications spanning electrical, thermal, and mechanical performance, ensuring alignment with project budget and schedule.
• Determine optimal package architecture through rigorous analysis of competing design constraints across the silicon, package, and system levels.
• Partner with supply chain engineering to define technology and material requirements for substrate fabrication, assembly, and raw material vendors.
• Collaborate with Quality & Reliability (Q&R) teams on packaging requirements, qualification criteria, and issue resolution.
• Engage with product teams and customers in the data center and high-performance compute segments to anticipate emerging packaging architectures and influence roadmap direction.
• Monitor the competitive landscape in packaging technologies to inform strategic and technical decisions.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience in advanced (2D/3D) packaging technologies, with exposure to optical packaging.
• 10+ years of deep expertise in one or more of the following domains: power/signal integrity, thermal-mechanical analysis, or optical packaging.
• Demonstrated ability to perform system-level trade-offs across silicon, package, and board to define packaging technology solutions for complex products.
• Extensive experience with high-speed interfaces including SERDES, PCIe, and die-to-die (D2D) interconnects, and their implications for substrate selection, interconnect architecture, signal integrity, and thermal management.
• Proven track record of delivering successful packages and products from concept through production release.
• Proficiency with industry-standard EDA and CAD tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience working across engineering, supply chain, and external supplier organizations.
• Technical leadership experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects under demanding technical and schedule constraints.
• Ability to operate independently, drive decisions with minimal supervision, and manage ambiguity effectively.
• Creative problem-solver with a track record of finding practical solutions under pressure.

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.: $218,000 USD - $317,000 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.