Senior Digital Design Engineer

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)