Senior Digital ASIC Designer

About the Company

SPARK Microsystems offers a unique and innovative UWB wireless chips transmitter-receiver technology that delivers energy efficiency and latency of an order of magnitude better than the state of the art. Our goal is to significantly extend the battery life of electronic systems that require short-range wireless communications, as well as increase the robustness and agility of their wireless connections. If you are dynamic, motivated, and ready to have a fulfilling and thrilling professional experience in a unique start-up, we want to talk to you!

About the Role

You will be working on the next generation wireless ASICs and SoCs that are used in range of SPARK Microsystems products such as mice, audio headsets, speakers, proximity detection, ranging and the IoT. You will be responsible for leading the design and implementation of complex digital circuits within Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), including architecture definition, RTL coding, synthesis, timing analysis, and close collaboration with verification and physical design teams to ensure the functionality, performance, and power efficiency of the chip, often taking ownership of critical design blocks or subsystems within a larger ASIC project. This position reports to the Director of ASIC Development.

Responsibilities

• Participate in defining the overall architecture of the ASIC, including key functional blocks, data paths, and interfaces, considering performance, area, and power constraints.
• Develop high-quality RTL code in languages like Verilog, SystemVerilog or VHDL for complex digital circuits, ensuring code readability, maintainability, and adherence to design specifications.
• Perform synthesis to translate RTL code into a netlist, then conduct comprehensive static timing analysis (STA) to identify and resolve timing critical paths, optimizing for performance and power.
• Collaborate closely with the verification team, providing design documentation, testbench support, and debugging assistance to ensure thorough functional validation of the design.
• Provide technical guidance to the digital designer and ensure quality standards are met throughout the design process.
• Implement power-aware design techniques to minimize power consumption within the ASIC, considering clock gating, power domains, and leakage reduction strategies.
• Work closely with the physical design team to provide design constraints, review layout, and address any layout-related issues impacting functionality and timing.
• Take ownership of specific design blocks or subsystems within the ASIC project, managing timelines, deliverables, and communicating progress to stakeholders.
• Participate in design reviews.
• Take a leadership role in the digital validation of the ASIC.
• Mentor and transfer knowledge to other team members.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• 8+ years of experience in digital ASIC circuit design including 4+ years in a senior position.

Required Skills

• Deep understanding of digital logic design principles, including combinational and sequential circuits, state machines, and clock domain crossing.
• Proficiency in RTL coding using Verilog, SystemVerilog or VHDL, including advanced features like parameterized design and assertions.
• Extensive experience with synthesis tools and timing analysis methodologies to optimize design for performance and power.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with design for testability (DFT) techniques to ensure comprehensive chip validation.
• Familiarity with the complete ASIC design flow, including RTL coding, synthesis, place and route, timing analysis, and post-silicon validation.
• Experience using Python for doing scripts.
• Experience with AMBA bus interconnect.
• Lab experience with common lab equipment, including protocol/logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes for debugging and validating integrated circuits.
• Expertise in using digital simulation, synthesis and STA EDA tools.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex design issues, identify root causes, and propose effective solutions.

Equal Opportunity Statement

SPARK Microsystems is committed to providing an inclusive workplace and equal employment opportunities. We welcome qualified applicants and provide accommodations throughout the recruitment process upon request.