ASIC Design Engineer

Role Overview

As an ASIC Design Engineer, you will help design, implement, and deliver IP blocks and subsystems for Positron.ai's inference ASICs/SoCs. Working under the guidance of senior engineers, you will write and verify SystemVerilog RTL, take ownership of well-scoped blocks, and learn the full front-end flow from microarchitecture through RTL signoff. You'll collaborate closely with architecture, verification, and physical design teams, building deep hands-on experience with high-performance silicon while growing toward greater technical ownership.

Key Responsibilities

RTL Design & Implementation:

• Implement clean, parameterized SystemVerilog RTL for assigned blocks based on microarchitecture specs developed with senior engineers.
• Contribute to microarchitecture documentation and help define block-level interfaces.
• Add embedded assertions and follow team guidelines for clocking, resets, and power intent.

Front-End Flows & Quality:

• Run and debug lint, CDC/RDC, and synthesis checks on your blocks, and resolve issues with support from the team.
• Help with timing analysis and work with PD on block-level timing fixes.
• Track and report PPA metrics for your blocks, and propose optimizations.

Interface & Integration Work:

• Support integration of standard interfaces and IP (e.g., AMBA AXI, DMA engines, memory controllers).
• Learn and apply protocol requirements for high-performance interconnects and memory interfaces.

Methodology & Automation:

• Follow established coding guidelines, IP packaging standards, and signoff checklists.
• Write and maintain scripts (Python/Tcl/Make) that improve design flows and team productivity.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work with Verification to review test plans, debug failures, and close coverage on your blocks.
• Help correlate RTL behavior against architecture and performance models.
• Take part in bring-up and post-silicon debug activities as needed.

Learning & Growth:

• Take part in design reviews, present your work, and incorporate feedback.
• Build expertise in microarchitecture tradeoffs through mentorship from senior engineers.

Required Qualifications

• BS/MS in EE/CE (or related field) with 0–3 years of ASIC/SoC RTL design experience (internships and relevant graduate research count).
• Solid working knowledge of SystemVerilog/Verilog for synthesizable RTL design.
• Understanding of digital design fundamentals: clocking, resets, pipelining, FSMs, FIFOs, and clock domain crossing.
• Exposure to front-end tools and flows (simulation, lint, synthesis, or STA) from industry or academic projects.
• Familiarity with at least one of: AMBA AXI/AHB/APB, DDR/HBM, PCIe, cache/memory hierarchies, or datapath design.
• Scripting ability in Python, Tcl, or similar.
• Strong problem-solving skills, eagerness to learn, and clear written and verbal communication.

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework, research, or project experience in computer architecture or AI/ML accelerator design (matrix/vector engines, systolic arrays).
• Experience writing SystemVerilog Assertions (SVA) or exposure to formal verification.
• Familiarity with low-power design concepts (clock gating, power gating, UPF).
• Experience with cocotb or UVM testbenches.
• Exposure to RISC-V, FPGA prototyping, or tapeout of a chip (including academic tapeouts).

Leveling & Scope

While this role is currently posted at a specific level, we are a growth-oriented organization and are open to hiring at a different level for the right candidate. This job description is a focused but generalized overview of the role; specific responsibilities and impact expectations will be tailored to the experience of the final hire.

Why Join Us?

• Help shape the next generation of AI inference hardware alongside a high-caliber, collaborative team.
• Get hands-on ownership of real silicon blocks early in your career.
• Learn directly from experienced ASIC architects and designers.
• Competitive salary + equity, comprehensive benefits, and flexible work environment.
• Clear opportunities to grow your scope, skills, and influence as the company scales.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $150,000 – $200,000.

These figures represent the base salary range only and do not include other elements of our total compensation package, equity, or comprehensive benefits. At Positron AI, we value the unique expertise each candidate brings. While the range above reflects our typical expectation for the position, we reserve the flexibility to exceed this range for candidates whose skills, experience, or qualifications fall outside the standard scope of the role. Final offers are determined based on a variety of factors, including internal equity and individual impact.

Equal Opportunity Employer. If you're excited about the role but don't meet every bullet, we'd still love to hear from you.