Senior Thermo-Mechanical Engineer, Photonics Packaging

Doist; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 169,000 - 244,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Equity grants

Flexible compensation

Job summary

Lightmatter is seeking a Sr. Staff Thermo-Mechanical Engineer to lead thermo-mechanical simulation for advanced photonics packaging.

You will develop FE models for wafer-level and unit-level packaging, assess reliability risks, and drive design improvements to meet power, optical, and assembly requirements. You will collaborate with the packaging team and vendors, perform multi-physics analyses, and contribute to design guidelines and methodology documentation.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, or related field.
• Deep expertise in finite element analysis using commercial tools (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus).
• Hands-on experience with multi-physics simulation including thermal-structural coupling.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor packaging failure modes (solder fatigue, delamination, CTE mismatch).
• Experience with wafer-level and unit-level assembly processes (flip-chip, BGA, 3D packaging).
• Proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB for automation and data analysis.
• Ability to develop analytical or semi-empirical models for first-order assessments.
• Experience driving characterization and validation programs with prototyping and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority for thermo-mechanical simulation within packaging, setting standards and validation methods.
• Identify capability gaps in simulation tooling and methods and push fundamental investigations.
• Develop finite element models for wafer- and unit-level photonic packaging to mitigate failure modes and optimize yield.
• Analyze reliability risks under product use and drive design/material solutions.
• Conduct multi-physics simulations including solder collapse and thermal-structural analysis to meet requirements.
• Develop analytical or semi-empirical quick-turn models for new concepts.
• Drive characterization and validation through prototyping and vendor collaboration.
• Develop Python/MATLAB automation to scale simulation throughput.
• Summarize findings and present recommendations to stakeholders; write methodologies.

Skills

Finite element analysis

Multi-physics simulation

Python

MATLAB

Analytical modeling

Characterization & validation

Packaging failure modes

Wafer-level assembly

Flip-chip

BGA

3D packaging

Thermal-structural coupling

Education

MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, or related field

Tools

ANSYS

Abaqus

Job description

Lightmatter is seeking a Sr. Staff Thermo-Mechanical Engineer to lead thermo-mechanical simulation for advanced photonics packaging.

You will develop FE models for wafer-level and unit-level packaging, assess reliability risks, and drive design improvements to meet power, optical, and assembly requirements. You will collaborate with the packaging team and vendors, perform multi-physics analyses, and contribute to design guidelines and methodology documentation.