Principal Hardware Systems Technical Lead

Lightmatter · San Francisco

Hardware & Electrical

Lightmatter is hiring a Principal Hardware Systems Technical Lead in San Francisco, California. Posted 10 September 2026. Apply directly on Lightmatter's own careers site — no account needed.

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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 looking for a talented Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership to the Hardware Systems organization to help us build the next generation of silicon photonics based artificial intelligence accelerators and interconnect products. As a Principal Hardware Systems Technical Lead, you will be responsible for delivering board and system solutions using Lightmatter’s innovative technology to create state of the art machine learning/artificial intelligence or massive scale-out interconnect platforms. You will work closely with our hardware and software teams, including mechanical, packaging, and IC engineering, to design and build leading edge system level products.

Responsibilities

Technical leadership and mentorship of team members to drive excellence and elevate the teams collective output
Own and drive multiple complex projects and hardware systems development throughout the full lifecycle, from concept through production
Collaborate with system architects and technical leads to define and develop hardware systems for photonic AI infrastructure applications
Define, develop, and review PCBAs to meet system-level electrical, power, and interface requirements
Lead hands-on integration, verification, and validation across bench bring-up, EVT/DVT, and production release
Drive cross-functional collaboration with firmware, photonics, packaging, and software teams to resolve dependencies and manage tradeoffs
Maintain thorough hardware documentation for schematics, design reviews, test plans, validation reports, and other engineering documentation
Research components and technologies to meet current and next-generation product goals and contribute to the technology roadmap, and improve development processes and engineering best practices
Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineers on the team

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline with 15+ years of relevant industry experience
Demonstrated track record of taking multiple complex hardware systems from concept through production
Deep knowledge of VRMs, high-speed SerDes, and interfaces/protocols including PCIe, Ethernet, SPI/QSPI, I3C, I2C, and JTAG
Experience leading multi-disciplinary development, integration, and troubleshooting across electrical, mechanical, and firmware domains
Strong ownership mindset with the ability to work in ambiguous and dynamic environments

Preferred Qualifications

Experience designing hardware systems for AI/HPC data center infrastructure, optical transceivers, or silicon photonics products
Experience with Systems Engineering methodology, including requirements definition and traceability, FMEA, and EVT/DVT/PVT planning and execution
Familiarity with advanced packaging technologies and high-density PCB design

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.

$217,000—$308,000 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.

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