S
Principal Electrical Engineer
Accepting applicationsSynchron · San Diego Metropolitan Area
Full-Time Mid_senior ASICC++DFTMATLABPython
Posted
1d ago
Category
Design
Experience
Mid_senior
Country
United States
We’re seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead our custom ASIC program for a next-generation implantable neural interface.
Our system depends on custom silicon capable of capturing neural signals at the fidelity, power, and reliability required for a chronic implant. We’re looking for a senior technical leader who has taken a custom ASIC all the way from concept and specification through design, verification, silicon bring-up, qualification, and production release.
This is a high-impact individual contributor role with ownership of one of the most critical technical foundations of our platform.
You’ll serve as the technical owner for our ASIC program, working across electrical engineering, firmware, signal processing, mechanical engineering, clinical, manufacturing, and external ASIC design/vendor teams to ensure our silicon meets system-level requirements for performance, reliability, power, manufacturability, and long-term implant use.
The ideal candidate brings deep mixed-signal expertise, including strong analog experience with neural analog front-end systems and verification, as well as digital experience across data path architecture, multiplexing, serialization, timing, signal integrity, and robust handling of high-channel-count neural data.
In this role, you will:
Own ASIC requirements, architecture tradeoffs, and technical decision-making
Lead verification strategy and review vendor design work
Support silicon bring-up, debug, qualification, and production readiness
Translate custom silicon into a reliable implantable medical device system
Partner cross-functionally to align silicon architecture with system, clinical, and manufacturing needs
The most important requirement: you have successfully shepherded a custom ASIC through the full lifecycle from early architecture to production release.
This is an opportunity to own a mission-critical silicon program at the intersection of custom ASIC design, neural engineering, and implantable medical technology.
If you’ve led complex ASIC programs before and want to apply that experience to a deeply consequential neurotechnology platform, we’d love to hear from you.
About the Company
Synchron’s vision is to build non-surgical brain–computer interfaces at global scale that protect the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and autonomy. Our first mission is to develop motor decoders that restore the ability of 15 million people with paralysis to interact with the digital world. Our second mission is to develop whole-brain cognitive decoders that enable hundreds of millions of people with cognitive decline to preserve and expand their agency as cognition changes over time. In pursuing these goals, we aim not only to help humans flourish, but also to drive fundamental discoveries in human intelligence. Our team operates at the intersection of healthcare and technology, translating breakthrough research into real-world, safety-critical systems.
Responsibilities
Lead the custom ASIC program from concept and specification through verification, silicon bring-up, qualification, and production release.
Own ASIC requirements and architecture tradeoffs across neural signal acquisition, analog front-end performance, digital data path design, power, testability, reliability, manufacturability, and system integration.
Drive verification strategy for the ASIC and broader electrical system, with emphasis on low-noise AFE performance, high-channel-count data handling, timing, interfaces, and signal integrity.
Serve as the primary technical interface with ASIC vendors, semiconductor design partners, foundries, packaging partners, and production test resources.
Lead pre-silicon and post-silicon debugging, characterization, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions across analog, digital, firmware, packaging, PCB, and system boundaries.
Define and support production test strategy, including DFT/DFM considerations, test coverage, qualification data review, yield improvement, and manufacturing issue resolution.
Partner with firmware, systems, signal processing, mechanical, clinical, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing teams to ensure the ASIC meets product-level performance and reliability requirements.
Contribute to design reviews, technical risk assessments, FMEA, verification documentation, regulatory documentation, and design history files.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field. Advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of experience in electrical engineering, mixed-signal systems, ASIC/SoC development, or high-reliability electronic product development.
Demonstrated ownership of at least one custom ASIC program from concept and specification generation through verification, silicon bring-up, qualification, and production release. This experience is required.
Strong analog or mixed-signal background, especially with low-noise analog front ends, sensor interfaces, neural signal acquisition, biopotential measurement, precision instrumentation, ADC interfaces, and microvolt-level signals.
Strong digital background, including data path architecture, multiplexing, serialization, timing closure concepts, clock domain crossing, low-power digital design, data integrity, and robust high-channel-count data handling.
Experience reviewing or driving ASIC verification plans, including analog, digital, mixed-signal, and system-level verification.
Experience working with external ASIC vendors, design partners, foundries, packaging teams, or semiconductor test/manufacturing partners.
Strong understanding of ASIC development flow, including architecture, specification, RTL/design review, verification, synthesis/timing concepts, DFT, physical implementation review, tapeout, silicon bring-up, characterization, and production test.
Ability to work across analog, digital, firmware, packaging, PCB, and system boundaries to preserve signal fidelity throughout the acquisition and processing chain.
Strong lab and debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, precision measurement equipment, and custom test fixtures.
Experience developing and executing verification plans, test reports, requirements traceability, failure analysis, and corrective actions.
Familiarity with IEC 60601, ISO 13485, design controls, design history files, risk management, and regulated product development.
Strong documentation skills and ability to translate complex system needs into clear technical requirements and design specifications.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to lead technical discussions across internal teams, external vendors, and senior leadership.
Preferred Skills
Experience with implantable, wearable, or high-reliability medical devices.
Experience with neural recording, bioinstrumentation, electrophysiology, or other low-amplitude physiological signal acquisition systems.
Experience with ultra-low-power ASICs, low-leakage circuits, sub-microwatt/channel front ends, power domains, and power/performance optimization.
Experience with mixed-signal designs where isolation, crosstalk, substrate noise, ground bounce, coupling, and packaging parasitics are critical.
Familiarity with Verilog/VHDL/SystemVerilog, UVM concepts, EDA tools, and ASIC verification methodologies.
Experience with Python, MATLAB, C/C++, Tcl, or other scripting/programming tools for test automation, modeling, data analysis, or lab characterization.
Experience supporting production test, yield improvement, reliability testing, accelerated life testing, supplier qualification, or contract manufacturing.
Experience mentoring senior engineers or leading cross-functional technical teams without requiring formal people-management authority.
Work Environment
Reporting and Collaboration
This position reports to the Director of Electrical and Firmware Engineering and will collaborate closely with the VP of R&D, ASIC vendors, firmware developers, signal processing scientists, systems engineers, clinical engineering teams, quality/regulatory teams, manufacturing partners, physicians, and external semiconductor design partners.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role is $160,000 – $200,000 depending on experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity grants, subject to board approval and company policy.
Visa Sponsorship
We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position at this time.
Benefits (for W-2, full-time, exempt employees in the US only) ***Intern positions not eligible
Subsidized medical and dental insurance coverage for you and your dependent(s)
Life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability
401k
Discretionary unlimited PTO
Flexible Spending Account for you and your dependent(s), with eligible plan elections
Commuter benefits for NY employees
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Synchron is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.
Join Us
At Synchron, you will be part of a transformative mission and you will work alongside driven people who believe in the power of collaboration and innovation to make a lasting impact. If you are excited to stretch your skills and contribute to something meaningful, apply and now and build the future with us.
Show more Show less
Our system depends on custom silicon capable of capturing neural signals at the fidelity, power, and reliability required for a chronic implant. We’re looking for a senior technical leader who has taken a custom ASIC all the way from concept and specification through design, verification, silicon bring-up, qualification, and production release.
This is a high-impact individual contributor role with ownership of one of the most critical technical foundations of our platform.
You’ll serve as the technical owner for our ASIC program, working across electrical engineering, firmware, signal processing, mechanical engineering, clinical, manufacturing, and external ASIC design/vendor teams to ensure our silicon meets system-level requirements for performance, reliability, power, manufacturability, and long-term implant use.
The ideal candidate brings deep mixed-signal expertise, including strong analog experience with neural analog front-end systems and verification, as well as digital experience across data path architecture, multiplexing, serialization, timing, signal integrity, and robust handling of high-channel-count neural data.
In this role, you will:
Own ASIC requirements, architecture tradeoffs, and technical decision-making
Lead verification strategy and review vendor design work
Support silicon bring-up, debug, qualification, and production readiness
Translate custom silicon into a reliable implantable medical device system
Partner cross-functionally to align silicon architecture with system, clinical, and manufacturing needs
The most important requirement: you have successfully shepherded a custom ASIC through the full lifecycle from early architecture to production release.
This is an opportunity to own a mission-critical silicon program at the intersection of custom ASIC design, neural engineering, and implantable medical technology.
If you’ve led complex ASIC programs before and want to apply that experience to a deeply consequential neurotechnology platform, we’d love to hear from you.
About the Company
Synchron’s vision is to build non-surgical brain–computer interfaces at global scale that protect the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and autonomy. Our first mission is to develop motor decoders that restore the ability of 15 million people with paralysis to interact with the digital world. Our second mission is to develop whole-brain cognitive decoders that enable hundreds of millions of people with cognitive decline to preserve and expand their agency as cognition changes over time. In pursuing these goals, we aim not only to help humans flourish, but also to drive fundamental discoveries in human intelligence. Our team operates at the intersection of healthcare and technology, translating breakthrough research into real-world, safety-critical systems.
Responsibilities
Lead the custom ASIC program from concept and specification through verification, silicon bring-up, qualification, and production release.
Own ASIC requirements and architecture tradeoffs across neural signal acquisition, analog front-end performance, digital data path design, power, testability, reliability, manufacturability, and system integration.
Drive verification strategy for the ASIC and broader electrical system, with emphasis on low-noise AFE performance, high-channel-count data handling, timing, interfaces, and signal integrity.
Serve as the primary technical interface with ASIC vendors, semiconductor design partners, foundries, packaging partners, and production test resources.
Lead pre-silicon and post-silicon debugging, characterization, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions across analog, digital, firmware, packaging, PCB, and system boundaries.
Define and support production test strategy, including DFT/DFM considerations, test coverage, qualification data review, yield improvement, and manufacturing issue resolution.
Partner with firmware, systems, signal processing, mechanical, clinical, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing teams to ensure the ASIC meets product-level performance and reliability requirements.
Contribute to design reviews, technical risk assessments, FMEA, verification documentation, regulatory documentation, and design history files.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field. Advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of experience in electrical engineering, mixed-signal systems, ASIC/SoC development, or high-reliability electronic product development.
Demonstrated ownership of at least one custom ASIC program from concept and specification generation through verification, silicon bring-up, qualification, and production release. This experience is required.
Strong analog or mixed-signal background, especially with low-noise analog front ends, sensor interfaces, neural signal acquisition, biopotential measurement, precision instrumentation, ADC interfaces, and microvolt-level signals.
Strong digital background, including data path architecture, multiplexing, serialization, timing closure concepts, clock domain crossing, low-power digital design, data integrity, and robust high-channel-count data handling.
Experience reviewing or driving ASIC verification plans, including analog, digital, mixed-signal, and system-level verification.
Experience working with external ASIC vendors, design partners, foundries, packaging teams, or semiconductor test/manufacturing partners.
Strong understanding of ASIC development flow, including architecture, specification, RTL/design review, verification, synthesis/timing concepts, DFT, physical implementation review, tapeout, silicon bring-up, characterization, and production test.
Ability to work across analog, digital, firmware, packaging, PCB, and system boundaries to preserve signal fidelity throughout the acquisition and processing chain.
Strong lab and debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, precision measurement equipment, and custom test fixtures.
Experience developing and executing verification plans, test reports, requirements traceability, failure analysis, and corrective actions.
Familiarity with IEC 60601, ISO 13485, design controls, design history files, risk management, and regulated product development.
Strong documentation skills and ability to translate complex system needs into clear technical requirements and design specifications.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to lead technical discussions across internal teams, external vendors, and senior leadership.
Preferred Skills
Experience with implantable, wearable, or high-reliability medical devices.
Experience with neural recording, bioinstrumentation, electrophysiology, or other low-amplitude physiological signal acquisition systems.
Experience with ultra-low-power ASICs, low-leakage circuits, sub-microwatt/channel front ends, power domains, and power/performance optimization.
Experience with mixed-signal designs where isolation, crosstalk, substrate noise, ground bounce, coupling, and packaging parasitics are critical.
Familiarity with Verilog/VHDL/SystemVerilog, UVM concepts, EDA tools, and ASIC verification methodologies.
Experience with Python, MATLAB, C/C++, Tcl, or other scripting/programming tools for test automation, modeling, data analysis, or lab characterization.
Experience supporting production test, yield improvement, reliability testing, accelerated life testing, supplier qualification, or contract manufacturing.
Experience mentoring senior engineers or leading cross-functional technical teams without requiring formal people-management authority.
Work Environment
Reporting and Collaboration
This position reports to the Director of Electrical and Firmware Engineering and will collaborate closely with the VP of R&D, ASIC vendors, firmware developers, signal processing scientists, systems engineers, clinical engineering teams, quality/regulatory teams, manufacturing partners, physicians, and external semiconductor design partners.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role is $160,000 – $200,000 depending on experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity grants, subject to board approval and company policy.
Visa Sponsorship
We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position at this time.
Benefits (for W-2, full-time, exempt employees in the US only) ***Intern positions not eligible
Subsidized medical and dental insurance coverage for you and your dependent(s)
Life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability
401k
Discretionary unlimited PTO
Flexible Spending Account for you and your dependent(s), with eligible plan elections
Commuter benefits for NY employees
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Synchron is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.
Join Us
At Synchron, you will be part of a transformative mission and you will work alongside driven people who believe in the power of collaboration and innovation to make a lasting impact. If you are excited to stretch your skills and contribute to something meaningful, apply and now and build the future with us.
Show more Show less