Jobs / United States / Lightmatter INC

Sr. Staff Physical Design Engineer

Lightmatter INC · 🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

Sponsorship verdict

Sponsorship possible

One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.

  • Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 21 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest May 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 1 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
  • The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
  • No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
  • What Lightmatter INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles2 certified filings for “Staff Physical Design Engineer” (Electrical Engineers) in CA: $140k–$189k, median $164k. Most were filed at wage level I (50%) — 1 lottery entry, ≈15% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
  • Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.

US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).

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Sponsor Radar — Lightmatter INC

21 H-1B filings certified since Oct 2025

The US Department of Labor certified 21 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest May 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 1 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).

Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Lightmatter INC →

About the role

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 are seeking a highly skilled Senior Physical Design Engineer to work on the implementation of complex digital blocks. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in advanced process nodes (3nm) to drive timing closure, power integrity, and physical verification for high-performance ASICs. Beyond standard digital flows, you will have the unique opportunity to work alongside a team of world-class scientists and engineers in defining how the system will be optimized and trail blaze problems that are new to the photonics industry! If your passion is innovation, solving challenging technical problems and doing impactful work you should join our team! Responsibilities • Implement digital blocks in advanced tech nodes from synthesis through physical verification, using industry standard tools and flows • Drive fullchip STA signoff, review constraints, debug timing reports and implement ecos • Drive power analysis and optimization while balancing area and performance trade-offs • Drive full chip floor planning, IO placement and clock distribution • Understand clock details and be able to customize clock implementation for functional and test clocks • Debug and clean up DRC/LVS • Functional and timing ECO implementation • Work with EDA companies to resolve any tool issues • Write TCL, Python, or Shell scripts to automate flow or customize existing flows Qualifications • Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering • 12+ years of industry experience working as a Physical Design Engineer • Must have completed blocks or top level physical design for large ASICs or mixed signal chips that taped out • Thorough knowledge of timing closure, LVS/DRC closure • Experience in TCL and Python (or other scripting languages) • Strong teamwork skills with the ability to collaborate with multiple functional teams across a variety of fields • Ability to react to change and thrive in a fast paced environment Preferred Qualifications • Masters Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with 8 years of industry experience • Hands-on experience with Cadence tools • Tape-out experience 3nm designs • Be willing to do manual layouts as well as willingness to learn and do silicon photonics layout • EM/IR analysis using standard industry signoff 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. $220,000 — $270,000 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

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Source: Greenhouse (employer board) First seen: 2026-10-15 Last confirmed: 2026-10-15 How our data works → Report this job

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