ASIC Design Engineer – DSP / Analog / SerDes

Socket.dev; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Celero Communications is seeking an experienced ASIC Design Engineer to advance high-speed optical ASICs. You will own DSP, SerDes, and mixed-signal integration across RTL and verification, closely collaborating with Analog, Verification, and Physical Design teams.

The role emphasizes architecture-to-tapeout involvement, with emphasis on PPA optimization, RTL simulation, and scripting to automate design tasks. This is a high-impact startup environment in the US.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in digital ASIC design with ownership of complex blocks/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.
• Familiarity with verification like UVM and/or formal verification.

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

Skills

Verilog/SystemVerilog

RTL design

ASIC design flows

Python scripting

Formal verification / UVM

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s or higher in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Tcl

Job description

ASIC Design Engineer – DSP / Analog / SerDes

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.

Celero is seeking a highly skilled and motivated ASIC Design Engineer to join our team and contribute to the development of advanced ASICs for high-speed optical communication systems. The ideal candidate will have strong digital ASIC design expertise combined with hands-on experience in DSP, Analog, and/or SerDes technologies.

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.

Annual Base Salary Range for US: $150,000 - $250,000 (The final offer will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and location.)