ASIC Design Engineer – DSP / Analog / SerDes

Celero Communications; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Celero Communications in Ottawa, Canada, is seeking an experienced ASIC design engineer to lead high-performance digital blocks from architecture through tapeout. You will implement in Verilog/SystemVerilog, optimize for PPA, and work with Analog, DSP, Verification, and Systems teams in a fast-paced semiconductor startup.

The role requires 5+ years in digital ASIC design, strong coding skills, and hands-on experience with synthesis, STA, lint, CDC, and formal verification.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in digital ASIC design, with demonstrated ownership of complex ASIC blocks or subsystems.
• Strong proficiency in Verilog and/or SystemVerilog.
• Strong understanding of digital design principles, RTL design, and ASIC development methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with ASIC design flows and industry-standard EDA tools.
• Strong knowledge of DSP, high-speed SerDes, Analog/Mixed-Signal ICs, Digital communications, Optical communications.
• Experience with synthesis, static timing analysis, Lint, CDC, formal verification, and RTL simulation.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement high-performance digital circuits and ASIC blocks using Verilog and SystemVerilog.
• Develop and integrate DSP, digital communication, and high-speed SerDes functionality into complex ASIC designs.
• Collaborate with Analog, SerDes, DSP, Architecture, Verification, Physical Design, and Systems teams to develop and integrate mixed-signal ASICs.
• Participate in the design and development of high-speed data paths, signal processing blocks, control logic, and interfaces for optical communication systems.
• Perform synthesis, timing analysis, lint, formal equivalence, Clock Domain Crossing (CDC), and related ASIC implementation and signoff activities.
• Optimize designs for performance, power, and area (PPA).
• Perform RTL simulation and debugging to ensure design functionality and performance.
• Contribute to block-level and top-level integration, verification, and silicon bring-up.
• Participate in architecture and design reviews and provide technical guidance to other engineers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot complex design and system-level issues.
• Develop scripts and automation using Python, Tcl, or similar languages to improve design and verification efficiency.
• Contribute to ASIC development from architecture and RTL through tapeout and silicon validation.

Job description

Celero Communications is an exciting and fast-growing semiconductor startup developing innovative technologies that power next-generation AI and data center infrastructure. Our products enable high-performance optical connectivity and next-generation optical transceivers and modems.

What You Will Do

• Design and implement high-performance digital circuits and ASIC blocks using Verilog and SystemVerilog.
• Develop and integrate DSP, digital communication, and high-speed SerDes functionality into complex ASIC designs.
• Work closely with Analog, SerDes, DSP, Architecture, Verification, Physical Design, and Systems teams to develop and integrate mixed-signal ASICs.
• Participate in the design and development of high-speed data paths, signal processing blocks, control logic, and interfaces for optical communication systems.
• Perform synthesis, timing analysis, lint, formal equivalence, Clock Domain Crossing (CDC), and related ASIC implementation and signoff activities.
• Optimize designs for performance, power, and area (PPA).
• Perform RTL simulation and debugging to ensure design functionality and performance.
• Contribute to block-level and top-level integration, verification, and silicon bring-up.
• Participate in architecture and design reviews and provide technical guidance to other engineers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot complex design and system-level issues.
• Develop scripts and automation using Python, Tcl, or similar languages to improve design and verification efficiency.
• Contribute to ASIC development from architecture and RTL through tapeout and silicon validation.

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in digital ASIC design, with demonstrated ownership of complex ASIC blocks or subsystems.
• Strong proficiency in Verilog and/or SystemVerilog.
• Strong understanding of digital design principles, RTL design, and ASIC development methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with ASIC design flows and industry-standard EDA tools.
• Strong knowledge of one or more of the following areas:
• Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
• High-speed SerDes
• Analog/Mixed-Signal ICs
• Digital communications
• Optical communications
• Experience working with DSP algorithms, data-path architectures, FEC, equalization, modulation/demodulation, or other high-speed communication technologies.
• Understanding of SerDes architectures and high-speed interfaces, including TX/RX datapaths, equalization, clocking, and related mixed-signal interfaces.
• Experience collaborating with Analog and Mixed-Signal design teams and understanding the interaction between digital, analog, and SerDes blocks.
• Experience with synthesis, static timing analysis, Lint, CDC, formal verification, and RTL simulation.
• Familiarity with verification methodologies such as UVM and/or formal verification.
• Knowledge of low-power design techniques and PPA optimization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced startup environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing ASICs for optical communications, optical transceivers, coherent communications, or high-speed networking.
• Experience with coherent DSP, FEC, modulation schemes, equalization, or high-speed data recovery.
• Experience with SerDes architectures, including TX/RX, CDR, PLLs, CTLE, DFE, ADC/DAC interfaces, or related high-speed mixed-signal circuitry.
• Experience working with advanced semiconductor process technologies.
• Experience taking ASICs from architecture/RTL through synthesis, physical implementation, tapeout, and silicon bring-up.
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, Tcl, or other modeling and automation tools.
• Understanding of optical communication standards and high-speed networking protocols.
• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced semiconductor development environment.

Why Join Celero?

At Celero, you will have the opportunity to work on challenging, high-performance semiconductor technologies at the intersection of AI infrastructure, optical communications, DSP, SerDes, and mixed-signal design. You will work closely with experienced engineers across multiple disciplines and have the opportunity to make significant contributions to products from architecture through silicon.