Principal Technical Architect

Principal Technical Architect - Semiconductor | Bangalore or Hyderabad | 20+ years of expeirence required

The role oversees end-to-end system and micro-architecture definition for advanced ASICs and SoCs, ensuring optimal PPA and seamless design execution. It requires deep expertise in RTL development, complex micro-architecture design, and full ASIC development flow. The position involves close collaboration with verification, physical design, and cross-functional teams. Strong leadership, technical excellence, and extensive experience from concept to tape-out are essential.

Key responsibilities

• Design and development:
  Define the architecture and micro-architecture for complex ASICs and systems-on-chips (SoCs).
• Requirement analysis:
  Capture and analyze product requirements, working with stakeholders to translate them into a detailed system blueprint.
• Define micro-architecture specifications:
  Translate high-level architectural requirements into detailed micro-architectural and functional specifications. This includes defining data paths, control logic, and pipeline stages.
• Performance, power, and area (PPA) trade-offs:
  Analyze and evaluate different design approaches to achieve optimal PPA metrics. Good in analysing downstream impact on PPA critical constraints.
• RTL development:
  Implement the micro-architecture in a hardware description language (HDL) like Verilog or SystemVerilog, with a focus on code quality, design structure, and integration.
• Cross-functional collaboration:
  Work closely with other engineering teams, including system architects, verification engineers, and physical design engineers, to ensure smooth project execution.
• Verification support:
  Support the verification team in reviewing test plans, stimulus, and debugging complex design issues to close functional and code coverages.
• Timing closure and integration:
  Collaborate with the physical design team to ensure timing closure and resolve integration issues during the place-and-route phase.
• Documentation:
  Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, including micro-architecture specifications and design notes.

Required skills and qualifications

• Micro-architecture design:

Minimum 15+ years of proven experience in system architecture, micro-architecture development for complex ASICs or Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs), including elements like MCU's, pipelining, caching, memory subsystems etc.

Minimum 2 successful micro-architecture story from Definition to Tape-Out to Mass production.

• RTL coding:
  Strong proficiency in hardware description languages such as Verilog and SystemVerilog.
• ASIC design flow:
  A solid understanding of the full ASIC development flow, from design concept to tape-out.
• Advanced knowledge:
  Expertise in specific micro-architectural concepts, such as bus architectures (AMBA or In-house), interconnects, and low-power design techniques (e.g., clock/power gating).

Tools and methodologies:

• EDA tools:
  Familiarity with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools from vendors like Synopsys or Cadence.
• Scripting:
  Strong scripting skills using languages like Python, Perl, or Tcl for automation and flow development.
• Verification techniques (Optional):
  Knowledge of verification methodologies, including formal verification and static timing analysis.

Soft skills:

• Problem-solving:
  Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen attention to detail.
• Communication:
  Strong verbal and written communication skills for effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Leadership:
  Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership and mentor cross-functional team.

Education:
A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering.