Head of Hardware

Job Description

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Head of Hardware to lead our hardware engineering efforts at an innovative AI startup revolutionizing chip design through machine learning. This pivotal leadership role is ideal for a seasoned professional with a passion for driving complex hardware projects, mentoring teams, and shaping the future of AI-driven chip design in a fast-paced, cutting-edge environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Hardware Engineering Strategy: Oversee all hardware engineering efforts, setting the vision and strategy for RTL development and chip design, while serving as the primary technical authority for ML engineers learning hardware design.
• Establish Validation Frameworks: Develop and implement evaluations, benchmarks, and measurement frameworks to validate ML-generated hardware designs for accuracy, performance, and scalability.
• Collaborate with ML Team: Partner closely with the ML team to translate hardware requirements and industry best practices into actionable guidance, ensuring ML models align with chip design goals.
• Mentor and Build Teams: Guide and mentor founding hardware engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and establishing robust hardware design methodologies and processes.
• Drive Client Engagement: Lead client interactions to understand their chip design requirements, translating them into actionable technical specifications for the engineering team.
• Spearhead Design Transition: Oversee the transition from tool development to production-ready chip design as the company scales, ensuring high-quality deliverables and operational efficiency.

Day-to-Day Example

Your week might involve reviewing ML-generated RTL code and providing strategic feedback to the ML team to enhance model performance. You’ll lead client discussions to align on chip design requirements, ensuring project goals meet customer needs. Additionally, you’ll mentor junior hardware engineers, sharing expertise on best practices and guiding their professional growth. For instance, last month, our team improved our ML model’s ability to generate complex digital blocks, and you would have driven the evaluation methodology, provided technical validation, and aligned the team’s efforts with company objectives. This role thrives in a dynamic, innovative environment at the forefront of AI and hardware integration.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years in hardware design and verification, with a proven track record of leading RTL development teams and delivering successful tapeouts.
• Technical Expertise: Deep expertise in RTL design (Verilog/SystemVerilog), synthesis, and verification methodologies (UVM preferred), with a strong understanding of chip design lifecycle.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead complex chip design projects, manage cross-functional teams, and drive technical strategy in a fast-paced environment.
• AI Startup Fit: Comfortable thriving in a dynamic AI startup, with the ability to adapt to evolving priorities, tight timelines, and innovative challenges.

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with machine learning concepts and their application to hardware design.
• Strong Python programming skills for scripting, automation, and tool development.
• Communication: Exceptional leadership and communication skills to align cross-functional teams, engage with clients, and mentor engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with AI hardware architectures (e.g., TPUs, GPUs) and their design/verification challenges.
• Expertise with EDA tools (e.g., Synopsys, Cadence) and formal verification techniques.
• Experience collaborating with ML teams or working with MLOps practices for model validation.