CAD HW-SW Infrastructure Engineer
$160k - $220k USD
Efficient is developing the world’s most energy-efficient general-purpose computer processor. Efficient’s patented technology uses 100x less energy than state of the art commercially available ultra-low-power processors and is programmable using standard high-level programming languages and AI/ML frameworks. This level of efficiency makes perpetual, pervasive intelligence possible: run AI/ML continuously on a AA battery for 5-10 years. Our platform’s unprecedented level of efficiency enables IoT devices to intelligently capture and curate first-party data to drive the next major computing revolution
Efficient is seeking a CAD HW-SW Infrastructure Engineer to own and scale the backbone of both our hardware design infrastructure and software build/CI infrastructure.This role is a hybrid between CAD infrastructure and DevOps: you’ll keep software systems running smoothly for compiler and runtime teams, while also managing the hardware toolchain used for ASIC development—including PDK installs, EDA licensing, and third-party IP integration.
If you enjoy making engineers wildly productive, love root-causing weird build failures, and don’t mind occasionally wrestling with a vendor license server at 2am then this role is for you. Join our team and help us shape the future of computing at the edge and beyond!
Key Responsibilities
- Install, maintain, and update PDKs from semiconductor foundries, including version control, documentation, and internal distribution.
- Manage installation and configuration of EDA tools and license servers (Cadence/Synopsys/Siemens, etc.).
- Install, validate, and upgrade third-party vendor IP (digital, analog, memory, interface, etc.).
- Maintain standard CAD environments, tool wrappers, and setup scripts.
- Support reproducible flows for synthesis, P&R, timing closure, DRC/LVS, signoff, and regression runs.
- Maintain and improve build and test infrastructure for compiler and software optimization teams.
- Own CI pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions/Jenkins/Buildkite), ensuring correctness, speed, and reliability.
- Support package/tool distribution and dependency management across Linux development environments.
- Manage compute resources for builds, regression testing, and performance benchmarking.
- Monitor infra health, improve uptime, and reduce engineer time lost to tooling issues
- Create a “single source of truth” for tooling, versions, and environments across hardware + software teams.
- Improve onboarding speed by making environments easy to set up and consistent.
- Partner with design, verification, and compiler teams to reduce friction and improve iteration speed.
- Manage proprietary hardware infrastructure (test boards and system environment) for automated, on-chip application testing (regression and benchmarking)
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or related fields with 5+ years of industry experience or MS in Computer Engineering or related fields with 3+ years of industry experience
- Strong Linux fundamentals: shell, permissions, process/debugging, networking basics.
- Experience supporting engineering infrastructure (DevOps, CAD, build systems, CI, etc.).
- Scripting ability in Python, Go and Bash.
- Comfort working across both software and hardware teams, translating requirements into reliable tooling.
- Installing and maintaining PDKs and related flows.
- EDA license server setup and management.
- Familiarity with ASIC/SoC flows and common toolchains.
- Managing third-party IP releases and validation
- CI/CD for large repos and multi-language build systems.
- Experience with CMake/Bazel/Ninja/Make and modern dependency management.
- Experience with containers (Docker/Podman), and/or reproducible dev environments (Nix, Conda, etc.).
- Familiarity with cluster compute environments (Slurm, Kubernetes, etc.) is a plus
Desired Qualifications & Experience Requirements
- Experience supporting compiler toolchains (LLVM, codegen, performance tooling).
- Experience managing artifact caches, distributed builds, and test sharding.
- Familiarity with security best practices for internal infra.
- Prior work in a startup environment where you build systems from scratch.
We offer a competitive salary for this role, generally ranging from $160,000 to $220,000, along with meaningful equity and comprehensive benefits. The final compensation package will be based on your experience and location, with some flexibility to ensure we align with the right candidate.
Why Join Efficient?
Efficient offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including 401K match, company-paid benefits, equity program, paid parental leave, and flexibility. We are committed to personal and professional development and strive to grow together as people and as a company.