Principal Analog Circuit Designer

Are you passionate about pushing the boundaries of high-speed, low-power analog technology? Do you thrive when driving—from idea conception to mass production—innovative analog solutions to complex connectivity challenges? We are seeking a creative, Senior Principal Analog Circuit Designer to contribute to Astera’s development of data center connectivity solutions. In this role, you will be responsible for leading the architecture, design, development, and optimization of advanced analog circuits for high-performance systems. You will leverage your expertise in analog process technology, mixed-signal circuit design, system architecture, and hardware-software co-design. As a senior technical leader, you will work on innovative projects, influence product features and roadmaps, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and mentor junior engineers while playing a key role in advancing the company’s analog design capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design of complex analog circuits including amplifiers, voltage references, and other mixed-signal blocks.
• Drive architectural decisions and perform detailed analog circuit design, optimization, and analysis to meet performance, power, area, and cost targets.
• Conduct simulations and validation of circuit designs to ensure high-performance metrics are met.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (layout, testing, process, and systems) to ensure the successful integration and delivery of analog circuit designs.
• Provide technical leadership in design reviews and contribute to project planning and resource allocation.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior and mid-level analog circuit designers, fostering growth and development within the team.
• Lead or participate in the development of cutting-edge analog design methodologies, tools, and best practices.
• Work closely with customers to understand requirements, provide technical solutions, and ensure the successful deployment of designs in real-world applications.
• Conduct performance trade-off analysis and optimize designs for low power, low noise, and high-speed applications.
• Work with the test and validation teams to develop test plans and perform post-silicon validation.
• Support the transition of designs to production and work closely with manufacturing teams to resolve any issues that arise during tape-out and fabrication.

Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in analog circuit design, with a proven track record of leading complex analog and mixed-signal designs.
• Expertise in designing and optimizing analog building blocks
• Strong experience with circuit simulation tools
• Deep understanding of analog circuit performance characteristics, noise analysis, and layout considerations.
• Proficiency in hands-on prototyping, debugging, and validation of designs, both in simulation and in hardware.
• Strong knowledge of semiconductor fabrication processes (e.g., CMOS, BiCMOS, SOI) and process variations.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to design innovative solutions to complex technical challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience working in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience mentoring and leading teams of engineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.
• Proven ability to manage complex design projects, balancing technical and schedule constraints.
• Familiarity with advanced analog design topics such as power management, RF, high-speed circuits, and precision analog systems.

Preferred Skills:

• Expertise in ultra-high-speed serial communications from 100 Gbps PAM4, to 200 Gbps PAM4 and beyond
• Expertise in highly-integrated systems such as multi-chip modules, optical engines, advanced packaging and silicon interposer technology
• Experience with data center communications protocols: PCI-Express, Ethernet, UALink, CXL, etc.
• Experience managing product- and new-market-exploration internally