Analog Design Lead
Astrus
Design
Posted on Feb 12, 2025
Analog Design Lead
Location: Toronto, Canada
About Astrus
At Astrus, we are using AI to automate microchip design, starting with the biggest bottleneck, analog layout. Our mission is to radically improve global computation and empower chip designers to create the world's most advanced microchips with AI. Astrus is backed by top-tier VC firms: Khosla Ventures, HOF Capital, and 1517 Fund.
Learn more about Astrus Public
About the Role
As Analog Design Lead, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI-driven microchip design for one of the most ambitious startups in the industry. You will lead the definition and refinement of key features in our Layout Game Engine, ensuring it incorporates the necessary design moves and configurations for generating superhuman analog layouts. This role offers you the unique opportunity to influence not only the technical aspects of analog design but also the strategic direction of our product as we aim to radically improve global computation.
You will collaborate closely with AI, product, and software teams to ensure that our AI-driven layout system is robust, accurate, and aligned with industry standards. Acting as the bridge between analog design expertise and AI development, you will be responsible for identifying key design requirements, prioritizing layout and circuit design methodologies, and ensuring customer and industry needs are met through continuous iteration and feedback.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the definition and prioritization of the Layout Game Engine, ensuring all possible analog circuit layout configurations are captured.
Collaborate closely with the software development team and the Computational Physics Lead to ensure accurate modeling of parasitic extraction and circuit simulation software that precisely reflects real-world circuit behaviors.
Work with cross-functional teams to determine methodologies for properly evaluating layouts, ensuring that both AI-driven and human-generated designs are assessed fairly and accurately.
Lead the creation of reference designs that serve as benchmarks for human-level performance, providing a basis for comparing AI-generated layouts to human-engineered designs.
Continuously evaluate the performance and manufacturability of AI-generated designs, providing feedback to improve the AI system’s accuracy and alignment with industry best practices.
Translate customer needs and industry feedback into actionable design requirements, working with cross-functional teams to ensure that the layout engine evolves to meet real-world challenges.
Oversee the integration of industry-leading design principles into the AI layout process, ensuring it reflects the latest advancements in high-speed analog circuits.
Who You Are
Expert in high-speed analog circuit design, with experience in FinFET technologies, like SerDes or similar high-frequency designs.
Interest in analog layouts, with a strong physics-based understanding of the principles that drive efficient and high-performance layout design.
Strong understanding of the semiconductor design process and a proven ability to balance innovation with manufacturability and performance.
You hold a Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
Collaborative and leadership-oriented, with a desire to influence the future of analog layout design and grow into a key leadership role at Astrus.
Ready to radically improve global computation?