Sr. RFIC Layout Designer (Starshield Silicon)

Future Ventures; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision & dental insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Paid sick leave

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Sr. RFIC Layout Designer for the Starshield Silicon program.

You will lead the layout discipline for RF and analog blocks across advanced nodes, collaborating with IC design and packaging teams to optimize floor plans, parasitics, and reliability for space and ground systems. Candidates have 5+ years in IC layout and strong analog layout skills, with experience in 16/7/5nm nodes, RF blocks, and scripting for layout processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering or 8+ years of professional experience with IC layout in lieu of a degree.
• 5+ years of professional experience as an IC layout designer.
• Experience with advanced node IC layouts (16nm/7nm/5nm or below).
• Experience with RF blocks (LNA, VCOs, mixers) and high-frequency designs.
• Strong analog layout skills and parasitic minimization.

Responsibilities

• Determine chip floor plan and power/ground strategy; coordinate with packaging for pad locations.
• Estimate layout schedule and identify complex areas for early investigation.
• Layout of custom RF and analog blocks with attention to matching and parasitics.
• Design rule checks, electrical rule checks, and LVS; resolve errors.
• Top-level layout integration with ESD structures and pad assembly; tape-out readiness.

Skills

Analog layout

Advanced nodes

RF circuit layout

Low-noise amplifiers

VCOs & mixers

Scripting (Python/Perl/Shell)

Revision control

Circuit design

Device matching & noise isolation

Linux

Communication skills

Independent problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering

Tools

Linux

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SR. RFIC LAYOUT DESIGNER (STARSHIELD SILICON)

Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. As a Sr. RFIC Layout Engineer on the Starshield team, you will be working on advanced development programs in support of U.S. National Security.

We are seeking motivated, proactive, and intellectually curious engineers who will work alongside world-class cross-disciplinary teams (systems architecture, ASIC design, firmware, pre-silicon verification, post-silicon validation, product engineering, manufacturing/production, and more). In this role, you will be on a team working on multiple silicon projects that are driving more integration, lower power, mixed signal architectures and advanced silicon technology for deployment in space and ground infrastructures. You will be an integral part of the IC design team and lead the discipline of layout at the technical level and will work with RFIC/mixed signal designers on full chip layout of custom analog and RFIC designs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with the integrated circuit designers and chip leads to determine the chip floor plan; this includes strategies for power and ground distribution as well as working with packaging engineers to determine pad locations
• Accurately estimate the schedule for the layout work and identify areas of complexity that need early investigation
• Perform layout of custom RF and analog circuit blocks with attention to matching and minimizing parasitic capacitance in the layout
• Perform design rule checking, electrical rule checking and layout versus schematic checks and resolve errors
• Perform top-level layout integration with electrostatic discharge structures and pad assembly and perform final tape out (including density fill, running design for manufacturability checks and sharing GDS with the foundry)
• Work with EDA suppliers to trial new tools and features
• Generate guides and demos for others in the team to showcase improvements in layout technique

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering or 8+ years of professional experience with integrated circuit layout design in lieu of a degree
• 5+ years of professional experience as an IC layout designer

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Strong analog layout skills
• Experience in advanced node IC layouts such as 16nm, 7nm, 5nm or below
• Experience in layout of circuits with frequencies up to 50GHz
• Experience in layout of sensitive RF blocks such as low noise amplifiers, voltage-controlled oscillators and mixers
• Experience with skill programming
• Experience with shell scripting, Perl, Python or similar language
• Experience managing revision control systems
• Experience with circuit design
• Understanding of layout considerations for device matching, coupling and noise isolation
• Working knowledge of Linux
• Excellent communication skills (both oral and written) are required
• Able to work independently on challenging problems

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones
• An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay Range: Level 3: $140,000.00 – $205,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of company stock or long‑term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].