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Software engineer
- Location
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- Type
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ASIC Design & Development Director
- Location
- San Diego
- Type
- Full time
- Compensation
- USD 225,000–275,000 / year
- Posted
- Just now
About the role
Title: Director, ASIC Design & Development, AFE
Date: November 2026
Work Location: In-Office 5x/week in San Diego
Salary Range: $225k - $275k
Position Summary
Synchron is seeking a Director of ASIC Design & Development to lead the strategy and development of ultra-low-power, low-noise analog/mixed-signal ASICs for next-generation implantable neural interface technologies.
This player-coach role owns Synchron's ASIC program end to end: setting the ASIC roadmap, building and leading an internal team. The Director must retain enough hands-on design depth to develop and evaluate circuits, resolve difficult technical issues, and make final engineering decisions.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Strategy
- Define and own the ASIC technology strategy and multi-generation roadmap.
- Build, lead, and develop an internal ASIC design and verification team.
- Own ASIC program schedules, budgets, resource plans, and tape-out milestones.
- Serve as Synchron's senior ASIC technical authority and report status and risks to executive leadership.
- Partner with systems, electrical, firmware, quality, regulatory, and clinical leaders to align ASICs with product needs.
ASIC Design and Technical Oversight
- Own ASIC architecture and analog/digital partitioning for implantable neural recording systems.
- Translate system-level objectives into detailed ASIC requirements.
- Perform hands-on circuit design and simulation as needed; review and approve transistor-level designs.
- Guide AFE design, including LNAs, PGAs, filters, ADCs, bias circuits, and power management, with a focus on noise, power, and channel count.
- Chair design reviews and determine readiness at key milestones, including tape-out.
Partner Management and Silicon Validation
- Select and manage external ASIC design partners, foundries, and packaging and test vendors, including SOWs, budgets, and contracts.
- Hold partners accountable for technical quality, schedule, and cost.
- Define verification and characterization strategies; lead first-silicon bring-up and debug.
- Establish manufacturing test, production screening, and reliability strategies.
Quality and Design Controls
- Own ASIC requirements, specifications, verification plans, and traceability.
- Ensure design controls, risk analysis, and documentation meet medical device and quality system requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, or a related field.
- 15+ years of analog/mixed-signal ASIC design and development experience.
- 5+ years leading engineering teams, including direct people management.
- Multiple successful ASIC programs from architecture through tape-out and silicon validation.
- Hands-on analog/mixed-signal IC design experience, including AFE architectures, ADCs, and noise analysis.
- Proficiency with Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre, SPICE, or equivalent tools.
- Experience managing external ASIC design houses or semiconductor vendors.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, including with executive stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
- Experience building an ASIC team or capability from an early stage.
- Ultra-low-power design for implantable or wearable medical devices.
- Familiarity with neural recording, biopotential acquisition, or brain-computer interfaces.
- Experience with multi-channel AFE architectures (12–32 channels) and electrode interfaces.
- Experience in FDA-regulated or ISO 13485 environments.
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