Staff Application Engineer

Senior Staff Applications Engineer, Power Emulation (AI Data Center)

Austin, TX | Onsite | Full time

The opportunity

AI processors are on track to need around 6,000 amps of power. Delivering that cleanly is one of the hardest problems in semiconductors, and very few companies are solving it.

My client, a global, publicly traded semiconductor company, is building a new power emulation team in Austin focused on power solutions for AI and cloud infrastructure products several generations out. Their power business is growing fast, with revenue expected to double next year and over 100 open roles in power.

This role sits at the front end of new architecture work. You’ll get early access to new power features while they’re still being designed, test them on real hardware, and give designers feedback that shapes the final product before tapeout.

What you’ll do

• Design multiphase power solutions for CPU, GPU and ASIC class loads using digital multiphase controllers and Smart Power Stages
• Build boards that connect FPGA based emulation of new controllers to real power hardware, so features can be validated at the system level before silicon exists
• Develop evaluation boards: schematic capture, component selection, thermal design and PCB layout oversight
• Design and review high speed routing (1 to 1.5 GHz class) for timing, crosstalk and signal quality
• Validate in the lab: load transients, efficiency, sequencing, protection and telemetry, using scopes, VNAs, TDRs and electronic loads
• Test new features, find their limits, and work directly with architects, IC designers and firmware engineers to fix issues before tapeout

What you bring

• 10+ years in board level power design or validation, ideally digital multiphase VRs for high current loads
• Strong hands on lab and debug skills
• Experience with high speed board design, including timing, eye diagrams and SI/PI analysis
• Proficiency with Altium, Cadence Allegro or Mentor
• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering

Nice to have

• Experience with SI/PI tools such as Ansys HFSS, SIwave, Keysight ADS, Sigrity or HyperLynx
• SVID, SVI3, AVSBUS or PWM VID experience
• Mixed signal validation background
• Experience bringing high speed hardware from concept to production

Who thrives here

You might be an applications engineer who wants to move closer to design, or a validation engineer who wants to influence features before silicon instead of after. Experience at a semiconductor company isn’t required; strong power board engineers from systems companies are a great fit. Emulation experience isn’t required either; you’ll learn it on the job.

Compensation

Competitive base salary, plus bonus and long term incentives. Relocation and visa sponsorship available.