Design Verification Lead

ABOUT NEUROPHOS

The demand for new data centers and AI compute is rapidly outpacing the planet's energy capacity. Digital solutions are hitting a power wall as we approach the physical limits of traditional silicon. Conquering this bottleneck means rethinking the fundamental architecture of inference compute. The industry's current path can't meet the need, so we're taking a different approach.

Instead of traditional electronic circuits, we use silicon photonics and an active, programmable metasurface to perform matrix multiplications at the speed of light. Our optical cells are 10,000x smaller than traditional photonic components, enabling unprecedented density. By using photonics instead of electricity, our chips become more efficient as they scale. This architecture will deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of existing solutions while significantly improving performance for large-scale AI inference.

We’ve assembled a world-class team of industry veterans and recently raised a $110M Series A https://www.neurophos.com/110m-raise led by Gates Frontier. Participants include M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Fund), Carbon Direct Capital, Aramco Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Space Capital, and others.

Join us and shape the future of computing!

Location: Austin, TX or Sunnyvale, CA. Full-time onsite position.

Reports To: Director of Digital Design

FLSA Status: Exempt

POSITION OVERVIEW

We're hiring the Design Verification Lead for the digital design team. You'll own verification for our electronic IC from module-level simulation through SoC integration, gate-level signoff, and into the validation plan. Verification here is being built from an early stage, so you'll define the UVM methodology we standardize on, set up and run the Palladium emulation environment yourself, and extend the FPGA-based harness we're already using to run real code against modules. We're also using AI heavily to generate and iterate on testbenches based on coverage data, and we want someone to take that further and build the verification team around it.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Own verification methodology and testbench architecture, built on UVM with a strong emphasis on AI-driven flows.

- Build the verification plan across levels: module-level simulation, SoC integration, interface checks, top-level IO, and how each feeds the validation plan.

- Specify, evaluate, and integrate third-party IP into the environment

- Own gate-level simulation with SDF-annotated timing as part of tapeout closure.

- Extend our FPGA-based verification harness so modules can be exercised with real code, quickly, without burning simulator licenses.

- Stand up and operate our emulation environment, including provisioning and execution on cloud-hosted infrastructure.

- Use AI tooling to generate and iterate on testbenches and assertions, optimizing based on coverage feedback to ensure high-quality verification.

- Build and lead the verification team, partnering with system architecture, RTL design, physical design, DFT, and validation.

QUALIFICATIONS

- 8 to 15 years in design verification, including leading verification on a GPU-class or complex compute ASIC through tapeout.

- Deep expertise in UVM and SystemVerilog, including ownership of testbench architecture, formal verification, coverage analysis, and CI/CD methodology.

- Gate-level simulation experience. You know what gate sim costs you in visibility and where it belongs in a tapeout schedule.

- Verification experience on a chip with many independently developed blocks and analog components, including integration of analog models.

- Comfort standing up a verification environment end-to-end, including emulation infrastructure.

- Breadth across the flow, from module-level simulation through SoC integration and into validation planning.

PREFERRED SKILLS

- Hands-on emulation experience, Palladium or equivalent.

- Development of analog models using WREAL or equivalent descriptions

- FPGA-based verification or prototyping experience.

- Cadence toolchain experience.

- Experience using AI tooling to accelerate testbench development and coverage closure.

- Exposure to silicon photonics or optical component verification.

WHAT WE OFFER

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative, brilliant team. You’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.

BENEFITS

Join a team that invests in your future and your well-being. At Neurophos, we offer:

- 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions.

- Unlimited PTO. No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery.

- 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success.

- Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.

- Personalized Benefits. Choose the plans that fit your life and take the cash back for those that don’t.