Sr. Staff Engineer - DFT

Ambiq Micro, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambiq Micro, Inc. is seeking a DFT (Design for Testability) Engineer to design and optimize test architectures for semiconductor products. This role involves collaboration with various teams to ensure products meet quality and test objectives.

The successful candidate should have 10 years of experience in DFT implementation, an ECE/EE degree, and the ability to develop low-power DFT architectures. The position is based in NW Austin, TX, requiring on-site presence five days a week.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in DFT implementation.
• Strong experience with scan and MBIST.
• Experience with test time and coverage analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement DFT architectures for semiconductor products.
• Collaborate with design and manufacturing teams.
• Develop and optimize test methodologies.

Skills

DFT implementation

Low-Power DFT

Test engineering

RTL

Scripting (Tcl, Perl/Python)

Communication skills

Education

BS/MS in ECE/EE

Tools

Cadence Genus

Modus compression

Job description

Ambiq is on a mission to enable intelligence everywhere — powering the AI edge revolution with the world's lowest-power semiconductor solutions.

Built on our proprietary sub- and near-threshold technology, our chips deliver multi-fold improvements in energy efficiency without costly process scaling. Since 2010, we've shipped over 300 million units to customers building smarter wearables, medical devices, IoT products, and AI-powered edge applications.

Our cross-functional teams span design, research, development, production, marketing, sales, and operations across Austin, Hsinchu, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Singapore. We move fast, tackle hard problems, and create space for people to grow through complex, meaningful work that shapes the future of technology.

We're looking for self-motivated, creative problem-solvers who are eager to push technological limits and make a real impact in energy efficiency.

At Ambiq, we live by five values: Innovate. Collaborate. Focus. Learn. Achieve.

If that's you, join us — the intelligence everywhere revolution starts here.

This role will be on-site 5 days a week in NW Austin.

Scope

We are seeking an experienced DFT (Design for Testability) Engineer to design, implement, and optimize test architectures for semiconductor products. This role involves collaborating with design, verification, and manufacturing teams to ensure products meet testability, yield, and quality objectives. The successful candidate will own the DFT strategy, develop test methodologies, and drive continuous improvement in test coverage and manufacturing efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for scan insertion, boundary scan, MBIST, and ATPG for ultra-low power SoC based on subthreshold operation using standard EDA tools.
• Develop and implement low-power DFT architecture and infrastructure.
• Generate structural test vectors, analyze, and improve coverage, test time, and test cost.
• Perform pre/post-layout scan and MBIST simulations.
• Work with designers on STA, physical, power, and logical issues related to DFT.
• Work with test engineers to bring up test vectors on silicon.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in ECE/EE and at least 10 years of experience in DFT implementation.
• Skilled in different types of DFT structures, including scan (Stuck-At, At-Speed, Path-Delay), scan compression, boundary scan, and MBIST.
• Experience in creating and implementing hierarchical DFT architecture in complex SoC.
• Experience in Low-Power DFT and MBIST.
• Plan, generate and verify Memory Repair Patterns using Tessent MBIST flow.
• Experience in test time and test coverage analysis for scan and MBIST patterns.
• Experience in working with test engineering team to bring up production test program.
• Extensive knowledge of timing concepts and constraint development.
• Experience in developing scan ATPG and MBIST test benches and simulation in pre/post-layout environments.
• Experience in processing failure files from ATE and perform diagnosis in ATPG tool.
• Experience with using Cadence Genus and Modus compression to generate low-power SCAN and ATPG patterns.
• Experience in RTL is required.
• Experience in scripting like Tcl and Perl/Python is preferred.
• Experience with GLS (gate level simulation) is preferred.
• Motivated, self-driven engineer with attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written English communication skills.

Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. We do not sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas (now or in the future) for this role.

Ambiq Micro, Inc.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy: we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.