Lumotive is pioneering the era of programmable optics—where light is controlled as intelligently and flexibly as software.
At the heart of this transformation is a once-in-a-generation innovation: a flat CMOS-based “general purpose optic.” Lumotive’s Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) beam forming chips can be programmed to function as a beam steering mirror, a lens, mirror, a beam splitter—or any optical function—replacing bulky and mechanical optical components with a fully digital, reconfigurable semiconductor . This breakthrough lays the foundation for a massive shift in multiple technologies—from 3D sensing and imaging to optical networking, free space optical communication, and beyond. Like the shift from analog to digital in electronics, programmable optics will reshape industries from robotics, self-driving cars, AI, defense, and healthcare.
Lumotive’s first commercial application is in LiDAR, where its software-defined beam steering chips are already enabling compact, high-performance, solid-state sensors. These sensors are being deployed today in smart infrastructure, robotics, and mobility systems through leading module makers and solution integrators.
With more than 200 patents and growing commercial traction, Lumotive is delivering the world’s first digital platform for light—and redefining what’s possible in the optical age.
Job Description:
We are looking for a hands-on Lidar Characterization & Calibration Engineer to join our optical systems team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing and automating test equipment, developing and executing characterization test plans, building calibration pipelines, and generating data-driven insights that directly improve our lidar sensor performance. You’ll work closely with optical, electrical, and systems engineers to understand sensor behavior across environmental conditions and operational parameters. We're looking for someone who is self-driven and ambitious, takes ownership of their work, and thrives in an environment where the problems are hard and the answers aren't always obvious.
Responsibilities:
- Design and execute characterization experiments to evaluate lidar sensor performance, including range, accuracy, resolution, noise floor, linearity, and field of view
- Develop automated test systems and analysis pipelines for efficient system and component evaluation and calibration.
- Develop, implement, and validate calibration algorithms and procedures for intrinsic and extrinsic sensor parameters (e.g., beam pointing, intensity, temperature compensation)
- Build automated test setups and data acquisition pipelines using Python
- Analyze large datasets from sensor characterization campaigns; identify failure modes, performance trends, and areas for improvement
- Maintain detailed lab documentation including test plans, experimental procedures, calibration records, and characterization reports
- Collaborate with optical, electrical, firmware, and systems engineering teams to close the loop between characterization findings and hardware/firmware iterations
- Support bring-up and evaluation of new sensor hardware revisions in a lab environment
Qualifications:
- B.S., M.S., or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field
- 3–5 years of hands-on experience in sensor characterization, optical systems testing, or related hardware validation roles
- Proficiency in Python for test automation, data analysis, and visualization (NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib or equivalent)
- Experience with optical measurement equipment (e.g., integrating spheres, optical power meters, beam profilers, oscilloscopes, time-of-flight measurement systems)
- Experience interacting with databases (SQL, Postgres) for managing and analyzing large datasets.
- Ability to design controlled experiments and draw statistically sound conclusions from data
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to document work clearly and concisely
- Experience with lidar-specific calibration (intrinsic/extrinsic, intensity calibration, point cloud registration) preferred
- Background working in a hardware startup or similarly fast-paced, resource-constrained environment preferred
- Experience supporting transfer of calibration processes to manufacturing/NPI environments preferred
$100,000 - $120,000 a year
Base pay is scaled depending on experience + Performance based Quarterly Bonus + Equity.
Benefits include but not limited to:
Health, dental and vision
FSA, HSA
PTO plus 14 paid company holidays
401K with 3% contribution
Stock Options
Life insurance and disability