Sr. to Lead Software Engineer - Hardware Design Automation Startup

Skyrocket Ventures; Berkeley (CA); Hybrid; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Skyrocket Ventures is looking for a Sr. to Lead Software Engineer to work on innovative hardware design automation solutions. This position is based in Berkeley, CA and allows for some remote work, requiring strong software engineering and algorithmic skills.

The ideal candidate will handle major product initiatives from design through deployment and must demonstrate exceptional problem-solving abilities. A competitive salary of up to $250k, plus equity, is offered for this pivotal role.

Qualifications

• Proficient in at least one of C#, C++, Java, Go, Scala, or Rust.
• Strong mathematical foundation including geometry, linear algebra, and optimization.
• Ability to write clean, maintainable, production-ready code.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop design automation algorithms for PCB placement.
• Create end-to-end software solutions for complex computational challenges.
• Integrate industry-standard circuit simulation tools into the design engine.
• Build automated closed-loop design optimization systems.

Skills

C++

C#

Java

Go

Scala

Rust

Algorithmic problem-solving

Software engineering fundamentals

Education

Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field

Job description

Sr. to Lead Software Engineer - Hardware Design Automation Startup

Berkeley, CA (you can work from home up to 3x/week)

The company’s product involves AI and hardware design automation, accelerating hardware development and reducing timelines from months to days.

We seek programming‑language‑agnostic engineers with strong algorithmic problem‑solving skills, solid software engineering fundamentals, and the ability to own large projects independently.

In this role you will own major product initiatives from design through deployment, solve complex technical problems, build and improve core platform capabilities, and collaborate across the company to deliver impactful features. Depending on your preference you could spend 75‑100% of your time on backend engineering and 0‑25% on front‑end engineering.

Salary up to $250k plus equity.

Job Responsibilities

• Designing and developing design automation algorithms for PCB placement, routing, pin assignment, geometry generation, computational geometry, spatial data structures, constraint solving, and optimization.
• Designing and developing end‑to‑end software solutions for complex computational and algorithmic challenges that power advanced PCB design workflows.
• Developing and enhancing the simulation loop by integrating industry‑standard circuit simulation tools, such as Ansys HFSS, into the design engine.
• Building automated closed‑loop design optimization systems that leverage simulation results to provide faster feedback, identify design issues earlier, and continuously improve hardware designs.
• Integrating the internal design engine with external simulation and solver technologies to enable seamless closed‑loop design iteration.
• Owning major product areas from architecture through implementation, testing, deployment, and ongoing enhancement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Proficient in C++ or C# and strong in at least one of C#, C++, Java, Go, Scala, or Rust.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals with a track record of designing, building, and owning large, production‑quality features from planning through deployment.
• Strong algorithmic problem‑solving skills, including graph and tree data structures, computational efficiency, parallelism, and designing elegant solutions to complex computational problems.
• Strong mathematical foundation with the ability to reason formally about geometry, linear algebra, optimization, algorithm complexity, and constraint‑solving.
• Ability to write clean, maintainable, production‑ready code with a focus on reliability, scalability, and long‑term maintainability.
• Ability to think strategically, understand how individual work fits into the broader product vision, and make sound architectural decisions.
• Self‑directed, highly resourceful, and able to work effectively in a fast‑paced startup environment with ambiguity while proactively unblocking yourself and others.
• Strong ownership mindset with excellent judgment, including asking the right questions, identifying problems early, and driving solutions from concept through production.

Nice to Have

• Experience with computational geometry, spatial data structures, geometric algorithms, or related mathematical domains.
• Experience programming in multiple languages and paradigms.
• Interest in or experience with hardware design, electronics, PCB design, EDA, or CAD software.