Chip Lead jobs in United States
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Etched · 1 day ago

Chip Lead

positionSan Jose
timeFull-time
remoteOnsite
senioritySenior Level, Lead/Staff
date10+ years exp

Etched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose built for transformers, delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. The Chip Lead will take full technical ownership of the silicon program, driving the design and production processes to ensure successful outcomes.

AI InfrastructureArtificial Intelligence (AI)ComputerHardwareSemiconductor
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Own the Chip End-to-End
Own the silicon from architecture definition through RTL, physical design, tapeout, bring-up, and production
Be accountable for the chip meeting performance, power, area, quality, cost, and schedule targets
Serve as the final technical escalation point for all chip-level issues
Set Technical Direction
Define and review the top-level SoC architecture, including block partitioning, interconnects, clocks/resets, power domains, and interfaces
Drive key architectural and microarchitectural tradeoffs and ensure alignment with system-level requirements
Ensure robustness, testability, and manufacturability are built into the design from the start
Deep Technical Reviews
Actively review RTL, verification plans, physical design closure, DFT, and test strategy
Challenge assumptions and drive simplification where possible
Hold a high bar for design quality, correctness, and clarity
Lead Execution to Tapeout
Drive technical readiness for tapeout, including:
RTL and verification completeness
Timing, power, and physical closure
Risk identification and mitigation
Make clear go/no-go calls and tradeoff decisions when necessary
Bring-up and Production Ownership
Lead post-silicon bring-up and debug, working closely with firmware, software, and validation teams
Drive rapid learning on first silicon and lead root-cause analysis for issues
Partner with manufacturing and test teams on yield, reliability, and production ramp
Own the transition from first silicon to stable, high-volume production
Cross-functional Leadership
Work directly with foundries, OSATs, and IP vendors on technical execution
Collaborate closely with system, board, and product teams to ensure silicon success
Communicate technical status, risks, and decisions clearly to leadership

Qualification

Semiconductor designSoC architectureRTL designPhysical designPost-silicon debugHigh performance computeAI acceleratorsAdvanced packagingTechnical judgmentOwnership mindset

Required

10+ years of semiconductor design experience
Proven experience shipping at least one complex SoC or ASIC into production
Strong technical depth across the full silicon lifecycle, including:
SoC architecture and microarchitecture
RTL design and verification
Physical design, timing, power, and closure
DFT, test, yield, and reliability
Post-silicon bring-up and debug
Ability to dive deep into details while maintaining chip-level perspective
Strong technical judgment and ownership mindset

Preferred

Prior experience as a Chip Lead, SoC Lead, or senior technical lead at a top-tier semiconductor company
Experience with high performance compute, AI accelerators, or large-scale SoCs
Experience with advanced nodes and/or advanced packaging
Familiarity with CoWoS or other 2.5D/3D packaging technologies

Benefits

Full medical, dental, and vision packages, with generous premium coverage
Housing subsidy of $2,000/month for those living within walking distance of the office
Daily lunch and dinner in our office
Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)

Company

Etched

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Building the hardware for superintelligence
dateFounded in 2022
location
Cupertino, California, USA
people-size51-200 employees
web-link
https://www.etched.com

H1B Sponsorship

Etched has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (9)
2024 (11)
2023 (1)

Funding

Current Stage
Growth Stage
Total Funding
$625.36M
Key Investors
StripesPrimary Venture Partners
2026-01-14Series Unknown· $500M
2024-06-25Series A· $120M
2023-05-16Seed· $5.36M

Leadership Team

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Chris Zhu
Co-Founder
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Robert Wachen
Co-Founder and President
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Company data provided by crunchbase