Physical Design, Intern (Summer 2027)
Boston, MA · HybridInternship$50–55/hrPosted todayStill listed today
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At a glance
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Job overview
The Physical Design Intern will join Lightmatter’s team responsible for defining and implementing digital physical design flows and methodologies for its chips. The role involves learning and improving the physical design flow, investigating AI applications, and collaborating with physical design, analog design, and photonics teams on implementations and mixed-signal design methodologies. The internship is intended for a student currently enrolled in a master’s or PhD program.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
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!
About this job
This team is responsible for defining and implementing the flow and methodology for the digital physical design of Lightmatter’s chips. We interface with multiple teams and utilize industry best practices to develop flows and methodologies which enable the physical design team to design and implement chips, while optimizing power, performance, and area.
Responsibilities:
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Learn the Lightmatter physical design flow
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Improve the physical design flow through scripting in languages such as Python
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Investigate usage of AI to improve and augment the physical design flow
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Work with members of the physical design team on physical implementations or analysis
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Work with other teams in Lightmatter such as the analog design team or photonics team to collaborate on and improve mixed signal and mixed signal + photonics design methodologies
Requirements:
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Currently enrolled in a Masters or PhD program
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Interest in physical design
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Familiar with TCL or Python scripting
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Knowledge of physical design tools and flows
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Understanding of the concepts of synthesis, place and route, and LVS/DRC
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Understanding of VLSI design fundamentals
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Willingness and curiosity to learn from an exciting team!
Preferred Qualifications
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Research, lab, or prior internship experience in physical design involving photonics, semiconductors, or AI hardware
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Publications, projects, or open-source contributions related to physical design or python programming
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Prior experience or coursework relevant to physical design
Our internship hourly rates are a standard pay determined based on the position and your location, year in school, degree, and experience.
Hourly Rate in USD $50—$55 USD
Benefits
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Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
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Retirement Savings Matching Program
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Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
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Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
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Paid Family Leave
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Short Term & Long Term Disability
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Training & Development
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Commuter Benefits
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Flexible, hybrid workplace model
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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.
How this job compares
Set against the 7,029 open Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 13, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$50–55/hr
- Massachusetts median$27–38/hr39 hourly ranges
- US median$25–35/hr832 hourly ranges
This range's midpoint, $52.50/hr, is 64% above the Massachusetts median midpoint ($32/hr) — in the top quarter of Engineering hourly ranges in Massachusetts.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 227 open Engineering jobs in Massachusetts and 7,029 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Massachusetts
- RTX Corporation16 open
- Eversource Energy15 open
- Amazon12 open
- Experience
- Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 10 years (4,846 postings).
- Education
- 3,437 of the 7,029 open Engineering jobs (49%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Pay, requirements and demand for Intern jobs
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 13, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.
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