Six Figure Work

Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Lightmatter

Company websitelightmatter.com (Lightmatter, opens in new tab)

Base salary $175K  to $220K

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Boston, MA +1 more

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  • LocationBoston, MA +1 more
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (2 h ago) · observed since
All places named
  • Boston, MA
  • Mountain View, CA

About this job

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 hiring a talented software engineer to help us build the next generation of photonic AI processors and interconnects. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and extending the device software and firmware stack for Photonic Compute and Photonic interconnect products. You will collaborate with other software teams and hardware systems teams to develop security, telemetry, virtualization, and remote administration functionality.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate across a multidisciplinary team including Photonic, Analog, Digital, Systems and Network experts to define control plane architecture for Lightmatter's photonic interconnect products.
  • Define diagnostics and monitoring architecture for photonic transceivers.
  • Integrate with DataCenter administration capabilities using environments such as CMIS, OpenBMC and DMTF.
  • Debug and troubleshoot embedded systems using tools such as GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers.
  • Participate in customer engagements to gather requirements and usability criteria.

Qualifications

  • BS and 8+ years of experience, or MS and 6+ years of experience.
  • Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field.
  • Industry experience with device driver and kernel side development.
  • Strong understanding of hardware-software integration.
  • Practical knowledge of communication and control in embedded systems, peripherals, and buses.
  • Experience with developing commercial/enterprise-level software and firmware on Linux.
  • Experience with Git and CMake for building and managing software projects.
  • Hands-on experience designing, simulating, or deploying control of autonomous systems.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Proficiency with Python or C++.
  • Familiarity with debugging tools such as GDB, JTAG, and logic analyzers.
  • Experience developing firmware for photonic transceivers or similar systems.
  • Experience with environments such as CMIS, OpenBMC and DMTF.
  • Experience with optical communication systems and technologies.

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.

$175,000—$220,000 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. 

Source: Lightmatter on Greenhouse · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($175,000) is above 75% of the 391 Software Engineering roles in Massachusetts listed on this site; 4 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $150,000; the middle half runs from $134,250 to $172,250.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 6, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live Lightmatter roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Lightmatter roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Staff Embedded Software Engineer (this listing)$175K - $220K
Staff Photonics Design and Layout Engineer$175K - $230K
Photonics Hardware Validation Engineer$177K - $240K
Sr SDET– Firmware Automation$178K - $225K
Staff/Sr Staff Electro-Optic Link Codesign Engineer$180K - $260K
Sr. Staff Thermo-Mechanical Engineer$169K - $244K
Staff Hardware Test & Bring-Up Engineer$167K - $193K

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Lightmatter roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-07-15
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: 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.

USD 175,000 – 220,000 · interval unstated · pay_input_range · 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.

Method
Structured pay field published by the employer
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The employer's job board publishes this pay as a dedicated data field. We read the field directly; no interpretation was needed.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.