FREELANCE: DFT Engineer - Project-Based (fully remote possible)

Swave; United States; Remote; USD 127,000 - 191,000; Part time

Job summary

Swave Photonics seeks a DFT Engineer for a critical, fixed‑term assignment. The role is fully remote with the HQ in Leuven, duration 3 months, immediate start as a freelance/contract engagement.

You will lead DFT strategy, pattern generation, and diagnostic testing across digital blocks to enable efficient silicon bring‑up. Ideal candidates have 5+ years in DFT, ATPG/scan insertion, and experience with Cadence Modus or Tessent.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in DFT architecture, scan insertion, and ATPG for advanced semiconductor designs.
• English language proficiency (written and spoken) is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Build and own the DFT flow: tool selection, configuration, and flow setup.
• DFT implementation: insertion, architecture, and strategy across digital blocks for maximum test coverage (ATPG, JTAG/Boundary Scan).
• Methodology and flow optimization: advise design teams to improve synthesis flows and constraints.
• Diagnostics and test execution: generate/validate test sets, fault grading, and test strategies for silicon bring‑up.

Skills

DFT strategy

ATPG planning

Test pattern creation

English fluency

Tools

Cadence Modus

Tessent

Job description

Location: Our HQ is in Leuven, and this role is available fully remote

Contract Type: Temporary Consulting Assignment

Duration: Immediate Start - 3 month contract - extendable

About Swave Photonics

At Swave Photonics, we’re not just dreaming about the future: we’re building it! We are a fabless semiconductor company that designs and markets holographic chips based on proprietary diffractive photonics technology. Our mission is to enable display manufacturers and content creators to disrupt the visualization market with immersive, ultra-high-resolution, life‑like, true holographic displays.

As a spin‑out from imec, we bridge top‑tier scientific research with disruptive market applications. To keep our aggressive roadmap on track, we are looking for an expert DFT Engineer to join our team for a critical, fixed‑term assignment.

Scope of Work & Responsibilities

You will take ownership of the DFT strategy, architecture, and test pattern creation while providing critical feedback about the digital design and testability.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and own the DFT flow: Tool selection, configuration, and flow setup.

• DFT Implementation: Drive Design for Test (DFT) insertion, architecture, and strategy across digital blocks to achieve maximum test coverage (ATPG, JTAG/Boundary Scan).

• Methodology & Flow Optimization: Provide immediate, actionable feedback to the design and physical design teams to optimize synthesis flows, design constraints, and implementation pipelines.

• Diagnostics & Test Execution: Generate and validate test pattern sets, perform fault grading, and prepare test strategies for silicon bring‑up and testability.

Key Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in DFT architecture, scan insertion, and ATPG for advanced semiconductor designs.

• Expertise with industry‑standard DFT EDA tools (e.g., Cadence Modus, Tessent).

• Strong background in digital design flows (RTL-to-GDSII) and understanding of physical design impact on testability.

• Proven ability to work independently in fast‑paced deep‑tech or startup environments with rapid delivery cycles.

• Language: Professional fluency in English (written and spoken).

Mission Details

• Duration: 3 Months - extendable

• Engagement: Contract / Freelance

• Start Date: Immediate

What Swave Offers

• Impact: The chance to work on world‑first, proprietary diffractive photonics technology.

• Culture: An informal, vibrant, and highly collaborative environment built on mutual trust.

• Rate: Competitive consultant day rate tailored to your expertise and seniority level.