The posting
Senior or Staff Digital Design Engineer
Reports To: Head of Engineering
About Us
Powerlattice is a well-funded semiconductor start-up company backed by leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms. We are developing groundbreaking chiplet power delivery technology that will transform how high-performance processors are powered, enabling the next generation of AI and advanced computing.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Senior Digital Design Engineer to contribute to the design and implementation of complex digital systems and SoC components. This role offers the opportunity to own significant functional blocks from microarchitecture through RTL development, integration, and implementation while collaborating closely with verification, physical design, and DFT teams.
The ideal candidate is passionate about digital design, enjoys solving challenging technical problems, and thrives in a collaborative startup environment where individual contributions have a direct impact on product success.
Key Responsibilities
Digital Design & RTL Development
- Develop microarchitecture for assigned digital blocks and subsystems
- Design, code, and maintain high-quality, synthesizable RTL
- Evaluate design tradeoffs involving performance, power, area (PPA), and testability
- Participate in design reviews and incorporate feedback into RTL implementation
Integration & Implementation
- Integrate RTL into larger subsystem and SoC environments
- Support lint, CDC/RDC, synthesis, and design quality checks
- Collaborate with physical design teams to resolve implementation issues
- Assist with timing constraint development and timing closure activities
- Support logic equivalence checking (LEC) and implementation debugging
- Participate in functional and timing ECO development when required
Design Quality
- Ensure designs meet functional, timing, power, and DFT requirements
- Support silicon bring-up, validation, and post-silicon debug activities
- Analyze and resolve design issues throughout the development lifecycle
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with verification, DFT, physical implementation, firmware, and systems teams
- Partner with architects and senior technical leaders to refine design requirements
- Contribute to continuous improvement of design methodologies and development processes
- Mentor junior engineers and share technical knowledge within the team (Staff level)
Qualifications
This is a Hybrid role requiring 3 days a week onsite at our HQ’s in Vancouver, WA (Greater Portland Area) or Chandler, AZ. While we are primarily seeking candidates in HQ-Vancouver and Chandler, remote flexibility may be considered for exceptional candidates in Silicon Valley, CA.
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline
- 6+ years of digital IC design experience
- Strong hands-on RTL development experience using Verilog or SystemVerilog
- Experience designing digital blocks for complex SoCs or ASICs
- Solid understanding of:
- RTL design and microarchitecture
- SoC integration and standard on-chip interfaces
- Clocking, resets, CDC/RDC methodologies
- Synthesis and physical implementation considerations
- Timing constraints (SDC) and timing closure
- Experience with industry-standard EDA tools (Synopsys and/or Cadence)
- Strong debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Preferred
- Experience with DFT methodologies including scan insertion and MBIST
- Experience with logic equivalence checking (LEC)
- Familiarity with static timing analysis (STA)
- Experience with UPF/CPF low-power methodologies
- Exposure to advanced semiconductor process nodes
- Experience supporting silicon bring-up and post-silicon debug
- Formal verification experience is a plus
Compensation & Benefits
Anticipated annual base salary for Member of Technical Staff: $150,000 - $200,000
- Stock option grant
- Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and 401(k)
