Director of Physical Design

Job Application for Director of Physical Design at Ambiq Micro, Inc. Back to jobs Director of Physical Design Austin, Texas, United States Submit Your Application Company Overview Ambiq's mission is to enable intelligence everywhere by delivering the lowest power semiconductor solutions. Ambiq is a pioneer and a leading provider of ultra-low-power semiconductor solutions based on our proprietary and patented sub- and near-threshold technologies. With the increasing power requirements of artificial intelligence (AI) computing, our customers are relying on our solutions to deliver AI to edge environments. Our hardware and software innovations fundamentally deliver a multi-fold improvement in power consumption over traditional semiconductor designs without expensive process geometry scaling. We began in 2010 by addressing the power consumption challenges of battery-powered devices at the edge, where they were most pronounced . As of the beginning of 2025, we ' ve shipped more than 2 8 0 + million units worldwide. Our innovative and fast-moving teams of design, research, development, production, marketing, sales, and operations are spread across several continents, including the US (Austin ) , Taiwan (Hsinchu), China ( Shanghai and Shenzhen), and Singapore. We value relentless technology innovation, a deep commitment to customer success, collaborative problem-solving, and an enthusiastic pursuit of energy efficiency. We embrace candidates who also share these same values. The successful candidate must be self-motivated, creative, and comfortable learning and driving exciting new technologies . We encourage and nurture an environment that fosters growth and opportunities to work on complex, meaningful, and challenging projects, creating a lasting impact and shaping the future of technology. Join us on our quest for enabling billions of intelligent devices. The intelligence everywhere revolution starts here. This role will be on-site 5 days a week in NW Austin. Scope We’re seeking an accomplished Director of Physical Design to lead and scale our physical implementation organization for next-generation ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) products. This is a strategic, high-impact leadership role responsible for driving the physical design roadmap, ensuring world-class PPA (power, performance, area), and delivering robust silicon for high-volume embedded applications. You will guide a multidisciplinary team across physical implementation, methodology, and signoff, partnering closely with architecture, RTL design, analog/mixed‑signal, verification, and product engineering to bring innovative MCU solutions to market. Key Responsibilities Leadership & Strategy Define and execute the physical design strategy for low‑power MCU product lines. Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing global physical design team. Establish best‑in‑class methodologies for low‑power, high‑reliability physical implementation. Drive continuous improvement in design flows, automation, and signoff quality. Physical Implementation Oversee full‑chip and block‑level physical design including: Floorplanning Power planning and low‑power architecture implementation Clock tree synthesis (CTS) Place & route (P&R) Timing closure Physical verification (DRC/LVS) EM/IR and rel-ability signoff Ensure optimal PPA tradeoffs tailored for ultra‑low‑power MCU architectures. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with architecture and RTL teams to influence early design decisions. Work closely with analog/mixed‑signal teams to integrate mixed‑signal IP into SoCs. Collaborate with product engineering and operations to ensure manufacturability and yield. Interface with foundries to align on technology capabilities, PDK updates, and design rules. Execution & Delivery Own physical design schedules, resource planning, and risk management. Ensure first‑silicon success through rigorous signoff and validation processes. Drive tape‑out readiness and post‑silicon debug support. Qualifications Required Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field. 15+ years of experience in physical design for complex SoCs, with at least 5 years in leadership roles. Proven track record of delivering multiple chips to production. Deep expertise in: Low‑power design techniques (multi‑Vt, power gating, DVFS, retention, etc.) Physical design tools (Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor) Advanced process nodes (40nm → 22nm → 12nm and below) Strong understanding of MCU architectures and embedded system constraints. Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Preferred Experience with mixed‑signal SoCs and integration of analog IP. Background in high-volume consumer or industrial MCU products. Familiarity with security-focused or safety-certified MCU designs (e.g., ISO 26262). Experience building and scaling distributed engineering teams. Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. We do not sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas (now or in the future) for this role. What You Need We're seeking passionate technologists who thrive on pushing boundaries, solving complex challenges, and driving transformative solutions. At Ambiq , you'll collaborate with a dynamic team that values relentless innovation, customer-centric thinking, and continuous learning. If you're a self-motivated, creative problem-solver eager to push technological limits and make a meaningful impact in energy efficiency, this is your opportunity to grow, excel, and turn groundbreaking ideas into reality. Most importantly, the successful candidate will be able to live the Ambiq Shared Values: Innovate: We tenaciously find ways to break down the barriers to possible solutions Collaborate: We proactively communicate and encourage each other to be better. Focus: We keep the voice of the customer at the center of everything we do. Learn: We strive for continuous improvement and are always curious. Achieve: We execute on quality and follow through on our commitments. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Ambiq Micro, Inc.? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Create alert Apply for this job * indicates a required field Autofill with MyGreenhouse First Name * Last Name * Preferred First Name Email * Phone Country * Phone * Resume/CV * Attach Attach Dropbox Google Drive Enter manually Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Cover Letter Attach Attach Dropbox Google Drive Enter manually Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf As this role is in Austin, Texas, if selected for this role, are you willing and able to relocate to Austin, Texas (if not already local)? * Select... Given that this is an onsite role requiring a physical presence at our Austin, Texas location five days a week, are you able to commit to being onsite five days per week? * Select... Home Address * Please provide your current home address for correspondence and onboarding purposes. Are you a US citizen, US national, legal permanent resident, asylee, or refugee? * Yes No If no, please select your status in the US: Select... If Other, please enter your status: Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file. As set forth in Ambiq Micro, Inc.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. Gender Select... Are you Hispanic/Latino? Select... Race & Ethnicity Definitions If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. Veteran Status Select... Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Why are you being asked to complete this form? We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years. Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at . How do you know if you have a disability? A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to: Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally) Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS Blind or low vision Cancer (past or present) Cardiovascular or heart disease Celiac disease Cerebral palsy Deaf or serious difficulty hearing Diabetes Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome Intellectual or developmental disability Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD Missing limbs or partially missing limbs Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities Partial or complete paralysis (any cause) Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema Short stature (dwarfism) Traumatic brain injury Disability Status Select... PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. Submit application Powered by Greenhouse