Sr/Staff Digital Design Engineer
$164,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 7 November 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Lightmatter is hiring a Digital Design Engineer to develop an ASIC for artificial intelligence computing architecture alongside scientists and engineers. The role focuses on integrating silicon photonic communication and compute technology into digital accelerator designs.
What you'll do
- Develop RTL (SystemVerilog) modules with DFT considerations for IC development.
- Debug complex logic and mixed signal simulations.
- Understand and integrate silicon photonic communication and compute technology into digital accelerator design.
- Collaborate with Architecture, Design Verification, Physical Design, Photonic, Analog, and Software teams to realize high-performance, low-power designs in advanced technology nodes.
- Create design specifications and documentation, including module functionality and timing, to facilitate partner team collaboration.
- Manage RTL implementation to achieve functionally correct, performant designs within project schedules by identifying, communicating, and mitigating risks.
What you'll need
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or related fields).
- At least 5 years of experience in ASIC design or similar high-speed chip design with multiple successful tape outs.
- Proficiency in SystemVerilog or Verilog for digital logic design.
- Proven experience debugging complex logic and mixed-signal simulations using industry-standard EDA tools (e.g., Synopsys VCS, Cadence Xcelium, Questa, or equivalent mixed-signal co-simulation environments).
- Demonstrated track record of delivering high-performance, low-power digital designs in advanced semiconductor process nodes.
Nice to have
- Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or related fields).
- Experience in communication protocols (e.g. PCIe).
- Knowledge of processor design, accelerators, and/or memory hierarchies.
- Exposure to silicon photonics (SiPh), optical compute/interconnect architectures, or electro-optic interface integration.
- Strong scripting skills in Python, Perl, Tcl, or Bash to automate simulation and design workflows.
- Experience interfacing digital logic directly with analog mixed-signal (AMS) IP (e.g., SerDes, ADCs/DACs, optical transceivers).
More semiconductor jobs: Lightmatter jobs · RTL design jobs · Mountain View jobs
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 63-day median for Digital/RTL Design roles.
Digital/RTL Design · RTL Design
|
Open roles in category
1095
|
Median days open
63 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$189k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Lightmatter | All employers we track in this specialty (1095 roles · 103 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 1095 |
| Open roles in the wider Digital Design & Verification family | 8 | 3526 · 120 employers |
| Median days open | 0 d | 63 d (−63 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $189k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 142 open roles · median 72 d
- AMD · 94 open roles · median 49 d
- Synopsys · 91 open roles · median 50 d
- NVIDIA · 47 open roles · median 63 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 45 open roles · median 106 d
- Analog Devices · 41 open roles · median 53 d
How we counted: 1095 open Digital/RTL Design (RTL Design) roles from 103 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 7 Nov 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Digital Design & Verification family row. Figures refresh nightly.