Principal ASIC Design Engineer
Atom Computing
Software Engineering, Design
Boulder, CO, USA
USD 180k-220k / year + Equity
At Atom Computing, we build quantum computers using arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms that will empower customers to achieve unprecedented computational breakthroughs. Join a world-class team of scientists, engineers, and business professionals to advance the state-of-the-art in quantum computing.
Atom Computing is seeking a Principal ASIC Designer to lead the development of critical technologies that power our quantum computers. In this role, you will own end-to-end design strategy—from requirements definition through silicon bring-up—while driving critical trade-off decisions across performance, power, area, and system integration constraints. You will partner closely with customers and cross-functional teams to translate evolving requirements into scalable, production-ready designs, ensuring alignment between technical execution and business objectives. As a senior technical leader, you will provide strategic guidance to executive stakeholders, shaping the long-term silicon roadmap and influencing key investment decisions. This position requires deep expertise in ASIC development and strong systems thinking. Reporting to the Hardware Engineering Manager, you’ll collaborate closely with a talented group of engineers and physicists to shape the future of computing.
This position may be based in Boulder, CO, or Austin, TX.
Responsibilities
- Participate in the design and development of FPGA designs to learn the hardware architectures and designs that we intend to scale for performance and density
- Lead the research and assessment into how to best leverage ASICs to enable higher performance and higher density future generations
- Establish ASIC design processes internal to Atom Computing by defining methodologies across architecture, RTL, verification, and tapeout.
- Perform hands-on ASIC design including microarchitecture, RTL development, testing, and integration.
- Manage schedules and vendor interfaces by coordinating milestones, aligning with ASIC partners, and ensuring successful fabrication.
- Work closely with Atom Computing’s quantum physicists, optical engineers, hardware and software engineers to understand use cases and deliver hardware that addresses the needs.
- Manage the product roadmap and subsystem delivery schedules for both commercial and research projects.
Experience & Education
- MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
- 10+ years of post-degree experience in hardware engineering, specifically in ASIC/SoC environments.
Qualifications
- Have gone through 2 or more complete ASIC design cycles.
- Experience porting designs from FPGA prototypes to ASICs
- Proficiency with RTL (SystemVerilog preferred)
- Experience in implementing large digital signal processing blocks in RTL
- Working knowledge of performance and limitations of ASIC fabs, partners, and design nodes as well as FPGA capabilities to guide selection of best fit for our applications
- Knowledge of Cadence, Synopsys, or Siemens EDA design tools
- Expertise in FPGA, microprocessor, and related digital circuit design and functions
- Mixed signal design experience is a plus.