Principal ASIC Engineer Kirkland, WA Research and Development

Echodyne offers the world’s first compact solid-state true beam‑steering radar for a wide range of industries and applications. Our high‑performance radars work in all weather and are designed for autonomous vehicles, uncrewed aircraft & drones, and security of borders, critical infrastructure, and smart cities. The company combines the patented technology of metamaterials with powerful software to create a radar sensor with unprecedented performance at commercial price points. Echodyne offers its radars to companies working in Automotive, Transportation, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Border Security, Smart Cities, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), and Airspace Management including Urban Air Mobility (UTM).

Echodyne is seeking a Principal ASIC Engineer to join our fast‑growing team.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Echodyne is seeking a Principal ASIC Engineer to join our Analog/Mixed‑Signal (AMS) Engineering team and lead the development and lifecycle support of custom integrated circuits for our advanced radar products.

As Echodyne’s ASIC subject‑matter expert, you will provide hands‑on technical leadership across the silicon development lifecycle, supporting the manufacturability and long‑term continuity of existing devices while also establishing the design methods, tool flows, and technical foundation needed to deliver future ASICs in‑house from product definition through production release. The ideal candidate combines deep IC‑design expertise with Principal‑level technical judgment, external‑partner leadership, and a strong understanding of semiconductor economics.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the long‑term manufacturability, production continuity, and sustaining support of Echodyne’s existing ASIC(s). Lead the technical evaluation, qualification, and controlled release of foundry, process‑node, package, assembly, test, and material changes, and resolve associated yield, reliability, quality, and obsolescence risks.
• Collaborate with Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, and other technical stakeholders to translate product and system needs into ASIC requirements and architectures. Lead ASIC‑level functional partitioning and trade studies involving power, performance, area, process technology, intellectual property, packaging, test strategy, and make‑versus‑buy decisions.
• Lead ASIC development from specification through production release, including analog, digital, and mixed‑signal design; design verification; physical implementation and sign‑off; design for test; tape‑out; silicon bring‑up; characterization; qualification; and production ramp. Define technical plans, review gates, risk mitigations, and readiness criteria throughout the development cycle.
• Lead technical relationships with ASIC design partners, foundries, intellectual property (IP) providers, electronic design automation (EDA) vendors, packaging suppliers, and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers. Evaluate technical capabilities and proposals, define statements of work and acceptance criteria, review deliverables, and resolve technical issues.
• Provide technical and cost inputs to ASIC sourcing decisions in partnership with Supply Chain. Evaluate non‑recurring engineering (NRE), mask‑set, wafer, yield, packaging, assembly, test, licensing, and production‑volume economics to support supplier selection and commercial negotiations.
• Provide Principal‑level technical leadership for ASIC development and lifecycle support. Establish design methods, review and sign‑off practices, tool flows, data and configuration controls, and reusable development standards. Preserve technical knowledge, mentor engineers, and contribute to the development of future ASIC capabilities within the team.

REQUIRED SKILLS / EXPERIENCE

• Proven record of delivering production ASICs across the complete development lifecycle, including successful tape‑outs, silicon bring‑up, and productization
• Broad knowledge of analog, digital, and mixed‑signal ASIC development, with deep design expertise in at least one domain and sufficient breadth to lead integration and sign‑off across the complete device
• Experience managing foundry, process‑node, package, assembly, or test transitions for production ASICs, including technical risk assessment and requalification
• Strong understanding of semiconductor product engineering, including design for test, production test, post‑silicon characterization, yield improvement, reliability qualification, and failure analysis
• Demonstrated success technically directing external ASIC design services and semiconductor suppliers against defined requirements, deliverables, quality expectations, and acceptance criteria
• Working knowledge of semiconductor cost structures and business models, with experience supporting make‑versus‑buy, sourcing, and commercial decisions
• Ability to operate from broad direction, align technical execution with established program and organizational priorities, make complex cross‑disciplinary technical decisions, manage technical risks, and communicate recommendations clearly to internal teams and external partners
• Demonstrated ability to establish engineering methods, lead technical reviews, mentor engineers, and strengthen team capability through influence and collaboration

DESIRED SKILLS / EXPERIENCE
(Looking for one or more as a complement to the core skills)

• Experience developing ASICs for radar, sensing, aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, or other high‑reliability, long‑lifecycle products
• Experience assuming technical ownership of an externally developed ASIC or transferring ASIC design knowledge and data between organizations
• Direct design experience across both analog or mixed‑signal and digital IC domains
• Experience contributing to the establishment of new ASIC development flows, design environments, and external‑partner operating models within a growing engineering organization

QUALIFICATION

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field and at least 15 years of relevant ASIC‑development experience, or an equivalent combination of education and industry experience

Echodyne’s technology is export controlled by the U.S. Government and we must evaluate an applicant’s eligibility to handle export‑controlled information or obtain required Government authorizations. Therefore, we will ask you as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or green card holder, or have asylum/refugee status in the U.S.

WHAT WE OFFER

This is an exempt role.

The expected annual salary range for this role is

$164,594 — $246,788 USD

We offer competitive compensation and benefits to our full‑time, US‑based employees, including:

• RSU (Restricted Stock Units)
• Fully‑paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums for you
• Choice of PPO or HDHP/HSA
• Virtual Care – 98Point6
• Employee Assistance Program
• Mental Health coverage through Springhealth & Talkspace (Premera)
• Travel Assistance Insurance
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Company Paid Short & Long Term Disability
• Flexible PTO (exempt) / 15 days per year (non‑exempt)
• 401(k) match
• Pet Insurance
• Prepaid Legal Program
• Paid Company Holidays

All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, status as a protected veteran or any other characteristic protected by law.