Staff IC Design Engineer, Analog

Micro Systems Engineering, Inc.; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Micro Systems Engineering, Inc. seeks a Staff IC Design Engineer to advance ultra‑low‑power analog and mixed‑signal ICs for implantable medical devices. You will contribute across design, verification, layout, and production vectors, partnering with cross‑functional teams to ensure robust, regulatory-compliant silicon.

The role requires 6+ years in analog/mixed‑signal IC design, strong CMOS knowledge, and proficiency with Cadence tools. Office-based in Portland, OR with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 6+ years of analog/mixed-signal IC design experience for low-power portable/implantable applications.
• Strong CMOS process understanding, device models, and layout techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design high‑performance, ultra‑low‑power analog/mixed‑signal ICs for implantable medical products.
• Lead design concepts from specification to production-ready silicon, including verification and testing.
• Develop behavioral/system-level models and work with test teams on vectors and validation.
• Ensure compliance with design-control processes and document decisions.

Skills

Analog IC design

Low-power design

Mixed-signal design

Circuit analysis

Verilog/VHDL

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

MS or PhD preferred

Tools

Cadence Virtuoso XL

Spectre

Xcelium/AMS

Maestro

Job description

Our elite PDX IC Design group is looking for a Staff IC Design Engineer to contribute to the innovation, design, and development of ultra‑low‑power analog and mixed‑signal integrated circuits used in life‑critical implantable medical devices.

The Staff IC Design Engineer provides advanced technical expertise and individual contributions across the innovation, design, and development of low‑power, mixed‑signal and analog integrated circuits used in life‑critical implantable medical device products and technologies. This role supports product development from concept and requirements definition through release and maintenance, partnering with cross‑functional teams in research, marketing, design, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, quality, and testing. Success is measured by delivering robust, reliable, production‑quality integrated circuit designs that address clinical and business needs while meeting quality, reliability, and design‑control expectations.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and develop high‑performance, high‑reliability, ultra‑low‑power analog and mixed‑signal integrated circuits for implantable medical products.
• Contribute to all aspects of IC design, including functional concepts and specifications, top‑level architecture, design partitioning, block‑level design, detailed circuit design and simulation, layout floor‑planning, transistor‑level layout review, bench verification and testing, test‑vector development, and documentation.
• Design robust, ultra‑low‑power and low‑voltage analog/mixed‑signal IC functional blocks, including voltage and current references, operational amplifiers, comparators, switched‑capacitor circuits, ADCs and DACs, oscillators, switching power circuits, and communication circuits.
• Design ultra‑low‑power digital functional blocks for timing, control, interfacing, and signal processing, including combinatorial, sequential, synchronous, asynchronous, and state‑machine designs.
• Create behavioral models and system‑level verification models; perform pre‑silicon verification and post‑silicon validation; and partner with the IC Test group to define production vectors.
• Apply clinical, regulatory, quality, manufacturing, and test requirements to design decisions and documentation in accordance with applicable design‑control processes.
• Provide technical guidance to project teams and less‑experienced engineers within assigned areas of expertise, escalating complex technical issues as appropriate.
• Other duties may be assigned at the discretion of the manager.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline with significant relevant experience; advanced degree such as an MS or PhD preferred.
• Self‑motivated independent thinker able to apply technical research, engineering judgment, and prior design experience to design proposals, with strong verbal communication and technical documentation skills.
• 6+ years of experience in analog/mixed‑signal IC design for low‑power portable medical, or implantable applications, with a strong grasp of tradeoffs involved in using analog and digital circuit design techniques to implement system functions.
• Strong understanding of CMOS processes, device characteristics and models, transistor‑level circuit analysis, design concepts and tradeoffs, bandwidth, noise, power, feedback analysis, stability, worst‑case process corners, margin and Monte Carlo analysis, and design‑for‑test.
• Solid understanding of circuit building blocks and layout techniques for ultra‑low‑power design, including op‑amps, comparators, voltage and current references, DACs, and ADCs, with ability to deliver robust production‑quality silicon designs.
• Working knowledge of Cadence mixed‑signal design tools, including Virtuoso XL, Spectre, Xcelium/AMS simulators, Maestro, and mixed‑signal signoff tools for analog regression testing.
• Experience in lab bench characterization and test‑vector generation for pre‑silicon and post‑silicon verification, design‑for‑manufacturing test‑vector generation, production support, fault isolation, and failure analysis.

PHYSICAL AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile.
• The employee is also required to interact with a computer for extended periods of time and communicate with co‑workers.
• Must be able to work a minimum of 40 hours / week.
• Must be able to travel to other office locations.
• Must be able to travel internationally and domestically, less than 5% of the time.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This role is primarily performed in a temperature‑controlled professional office setting and may include work in lab or test environments to support bench characterization, verification, validation, production support, fault isolation, and failure analysis. The employee regularly uses a computer for extended periods and communicates with cross‑functional engineering, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, quality, test, and international design teams. Personal protective equipment may be required when working in designated lab, clean room, or manufacturing environments.

ABOUT MSEI

Working for Micro Systems Engineering, Inc. (MSEI) means joining an elite team to work on some of the most exciting challenges in medical technology today. We are a pioneer in developing innovative implantable medical device technologies and devices that save and enhance the quality of life for millions of individuals living with cardiovascular and chronic neurologic pain disorders. With more than 40 years of experience in design and manufacturing of active implantable medical devices, our continuing success is based on our company’s core values - innovation, quality, reliability, integrity, teamwork, and undisputed expertise - thus enabling us to inspire confidence and trust in physicians and patients worldwide. We are continually looking for talented engineers, scientists, and professionals to share in our mission.