Staff Automation Engineer (San Diego)

The Automation team, is part of the larger Yield Architecture Engineering team. The team develops and supports software platforms, data systems, and workflow automation used across our engineering organizations. This role focuses on building, maintaining, and supporting production automation systems that improve engineering productivity, execution efficiency, and operational reliability.

The successful candidate will work closely with automation and engineering stakeholders to develop software, data pipelines, tools, and automation workflows while helping maintain continuity during a period of organizational transition. This is a hands-on individual contributor role focused on execution, delivery, operational support, and knowledge transfer.

Key Responsibilities

Automation Development & Production Support

• Develop, test, and maintain automation tools, scripts, and services.
• Build and support Linux-based automation systems and engineering workflows.
• Troubleshoot issues across software, databases, scheduled jobs, and data pipelines.
• Improve reliability, monitoring, logging, and operational supportability of production systems.
• Support knowledge transfer and documentation efforts to improve long-term maintainability.

Data Systems & Workflow Automation

• Develop and maintain data processing and automation pipelines.
• Work with databases, SQL, and automation workflows.
• Integrate data from multiple engineering systems and sources.
• Create tools that improve visibility, efficiency, and productivity for engineering teams.

AI-Assisted Engineering

• Use AI-assisted development tools and coding agents to improve engineering productivity.
• Apply AI tools to accelerate implementation, testing, troubleshooting, and documentation.
• Maintain ownership of correctness, security, and production readiness.

Collaboration

• Work closely with software and engineering stakeholders to deliver practical solutions.
• Participate in design reviews, troubleshooting, and production support activities.
• Communicate implementation status, risks, and technical issues clearly.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Leverages advanced ASIC knowledge and experience to define, model, design (digital and/or analog), optimize, verify, validate, implement, and document IP (block/SoC) development for a variety of high performance, high quality, low power products.

• Creates advanced architectures, circuit specifications, logic designs, and/or system simulations based on system-level requirements.

• Collaborates across functional teams (e.g., software architecture, hardware architecture, product management, program management teams) to develop and execute an implementation strategy that meets system requirements and customer needs.

• Evaluates all aspects of complex process flow from high-level design to synthesis, place and route, timing and power use, and verification or similarly for custom circuit design/layout flow.

• Utilizes tools/applications (e.g., RTL to GDS Flow, Virtuoso) to execute and enable advanced architecture and design of multiple complex blocks/SoC or IC Packages.

• Writes and reviews detailed technical documentation for complex EDA/IP/ASIC projects.

Level of Responsibility:

• Works independently with minimal supervision.

• Provides supervision/guidance to other team members.

• Decision-making is significant in nature and affects work beyond immediate work group.

• Requires verbal and written communication skills to convey complex information. May require negotiation, influence, tact, etc.

• Has a moderate amount of influence over key organizational decisions (e.g., is consulted by senior leadership to make key decisions).

• Tasks do not have defined steps; planning, problem-solving, and prioritization must occur to complete the tasks effectively.

Top 5 Required Skills

1. Experience building automation, backend systems, or data processing workflows.

2. Experience developing maintainable production-quality software.

3. Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.

4. Effective written and verbal communication skills.

5. Effective use of GenAI assisted development.

Technologies:

1. Linux
2. Python
3. SQL and Relational Databases
4. Git or similar version control systems
5. GenAI for software development (Claude Code, Codex, or similar)

Required Education & Required Years of Experience

Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.

OR

Master's degree in Science, Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.

Required Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Strong Linux experience.
• Strong Python development skills.
• Experience with SQL and relational databases.
• Experience building automation, backend systems, or data processing workflows.
• Experience developing maintainable production-quality software.
• Experience using Git or similar version control systems.
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with semiconductor engineering environments.
• Experience with engineering automation, workflow systems, or internal tools.
• Experience with REST APIs and backend application development.
• Experience with Oracle, PL/SQL, or large-scale data systems.
• Experience with LSF, distributed computing, or batch processing environments.
• Experience with observability, monitoring, and operational support tooling.
• Experience using AI-assisted software development tools.