Ambiq · 2 days ago
Director of Physical Design
Austin, Texas, United States
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
15+ years expAmbiq is a pioneer in delivering ultra-low-power semiconductor solutions, aiming to enable intelligence everywhere. The Director of Physical Design will lead the physical implementation organization for next-generation MCU products, driving the physical design roadmap and ensuring world-class power, performance, and area (PPA) metrics.
Consumer ElectronicsInternet of ThingsManufacturingSemiconductor
No H1B
Responsibilities
Define and execute the physical design strategy for low‑power MCU product lines
Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing global physical design team
Establish best‑in‑class methodologies for low‑power, high‑reliability physical implementation
Drive continuous improvement in design flows, automation, and signoff quality
Oversee full‑chip and block‑level physical design including:
Floorplanning
Power planning and low‑power architecture implementation
Clock tree synthesis (CTS)
Place & route (P&R)
Timing closure
Physical verification (DRC/LVS)
EM/IR and rel-ability signoff
Ensure optimal PPA tradeoffs tailored for ultra‑low‑power MCU architectures
Partner with architecture and RTL teams to influence early design decisions
Work closely with analog/mixed‑signal teams to integrate mixed‑signal IP into SoCs
Collaborate with product engineering and operations to ensure manufacturability and yield
Interface with foundries to align on technology capabilities, PDK updates, and design rules
Own physical design schedules, resource planning, and risk management
Ensure first‑silicon success through rigorous signoff and validation processes
Drive tape‑out readiness and post‑silicon debug support
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
15+ years of experience in physical design for complex SoCs, with at least 5 years in leadership roles
Proven track record of delivering multiple chips to production
Deep expertise in: Low‑power design techniques (multi‑Vt, power gating, DVFS, retention, etc.), Physical design tools (Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor), Advanced process nodes (40nm → 22nm → 12nm and below)
Strong understanding of MCU architectures and embedded system constraints
Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. We do not sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas (now or in the future) for this role
Preferred
Experience with mixed‑signal SoCs and integration of analog IP
Background in high-volume consumer or industrial MCU products
Familiarity with security-focused or safety-certified MCU designs (e.g., ISO 26262)
Experience building and scaling distributed engineering teams
Company
Ambiq
Ambiq® was founded in 2010 on the simple yet powerful notion that extremely low-power semiconductors are the key to the future of electronics.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$470.19MKey Investors
EDBI,Taiwania Capital Management CorporationQ Venture PartnersOUP (Osage University Partners)
2026-01-21Post Ipo Secondary· $1.33M
2026-01-21Post Ipo Equity· $81.74M
2025-07-30IPO
Leadership Team
Fumihide Esaka
Chief Executive Officer
Scott Hanson
Founder and CTO
Recent News
Business Wire
2026-01-23
2026-01-23
legacy.thefly.com
2026-01-22
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