What are the responsibilities and job description for the CAD/EDA Manager position at Neurophos?
About Neurophos
The demand for new datacenters and AI compute is rapidly outpacing the planet's energy capacity. Digital solutions are hitting a power wall as we approach the physical limits of traditional silicon. Conquering this bottleneck isn’t about bigger chips or more of them; it means rethinking the fundamental architecture. The industry's current path isn’t going to meet the need, so we took a different approach.
Instead of traditional electronic circuits, we use silicon photonics and an active, programmable metasurface to perform matrix multiplications at the speed of light. Our optical cells are 10,000x smaller than traditional photonic components, enabling unprecedented density. By using photonics instead of electricity, our chips become more efficient as they scale. This architecture will deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of existing solutions while significantly improving performance for large-scale AI inference.
We’ve assembled a world-class team of industry veterans and recently raised a $110M Series A led by Gates Frontier. Participants include M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Fund), Carbon Direct Capital, Aramco Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Space Capital, and others. We have also been recognized on the EE Times Silicon 100 list for several consecutive years.
Join us and shape the future of computing!
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced CAD Manager to lead and manage the EDA tooling, design flows, and physical design infrastructure for our analog and mixed-signal IC design teams. In this role, you will be responsible for evaluating and deploying EDA tools, developing robust custom flows from schematic capture through tape-out, and ensuring maximum designer productivity across multiple process nodes. You will work closely with design, verification, and process engineering teams to solve the toughest implementation challenges in advanced analog design.
Location
Austin, TX or San Jose, CA. Full-time onsite position.
Key Responsibilities
EDA Tool and Flow Management
This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative and brilliant team. You’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.
Benefits
Join a team that invests in your future and your well-being. At Neurophos, we offer:
The demand for new datacenters and AI compute is rapidly outpacing the planet's energy capacity. Digital solutions are hitting a power wall as we approach the physical limits of traditional silicon. Conquering this bottleneck isn’t about bigger chips or more of them; it means rethinking the fundamental architecture. The industry's current path isn’t going to meet the need, so we took a different approach.
Instead of traditional electronic circuits, we use silicon photonics and an active, programmable metasurface to perform matrix multiplications at the speed of light. Our optical cells are 10,000x smaller than traditional photonic components, enabling unprecedented density. By using photonics instead of electricity, our chips become more efficient as they scale. This architecture will deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of existing solutions while significantly improving performance for large-scale AI inference.
We’ve assembled a world-class team of industry veterans and recently raised a $110M Series A led by Gates Frontier. Participants include M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Fund), Carbon Direct Capital, Aramco Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Space Capital, and others. We have also been recognized on the EE Times Silicon 100 list for several consecutive years.
Join us and shape the future of computing!
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced CAD Manager to lead and manage the EDA tooling, design flows, and physical design infrastructure for our analog and mixed-signal IC design teams. In this role, you will be responsible for evaluating and deploying EDA tools, developing robust custom flows from schematic capture through tape-out, and ensuring maximum designer productivity across multiple process nodes. You will work closely with design, verification, and process engineering teams to solve the toughest implementation challenges in advanced analog design.
Location
Austin, TX or San Jose, CA. Full-time onsite position.
Key Responsibilities
EDA Tool and Flow Management
- Evaluate, deploy, and support EDA tools, including Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre, Calibre, and related analog/custom IC toolsets.
- Develop, maintain, and optimize design flows for schematic entry, simulation, layout, parasitic extraction (PEX), and physical verification (DRC/LVS).
- Manage EDA tool licenses, vendor relationships, and tool upgrade cycles to ensure the design team’s productivity.
- Implement and maintain PDK installations and updates, coordinating with foundry partners (including TSMC) for process node enablement, with specific focus on advanced technology qualification and ramp.
- Lead CAD enablement for TSMC N3P and N2P advanced nodes, including PDK bring-up, design rule updates, fill strategy, and integration / sign-off flow alignment with TSMC requirements.
- Interface with foundries and VCA partners to facilitate a smooth tape-out process.
- Architect and maintain the CAD computing environment, including Linux workstations, EDA servers, and LSF/grid computing clusters.
- Develop and maintain SKILL, Tcl, Python, and shell scripts to automate repetitive CAD tasks and streamline designer workflows.
- Manage design data integrity through version control systems (Git, Vault, ClearCase) and define backup and archive strategies.
- Collaborate with IT to plan compute resource needs, capacity planning, and infrastructure upgrades.
- Act as the primary technical liaison between design teams, foundries, and EDA vendors.
- Define and enforce CAD best practices, design methodology guidelines, and tape-out checklists.
- Provide hands-on debug support for flow and tool issues during critical project phases and tape-out windows.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce design cycle time and improve first-pass silicon success rates.
- B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
- 8 years of hands-on experience in analog/mixed-signal IC CAD or EDA engineering.
- Deep expertise in Cadence Virtuoso suite (schematic, layout, ADE), Spectre/Spectre X simulation, and Cadence Virtuoso SKILL scripting.
- Strong knowledge of physical verification tools: Mentor Calibre (DRC, LVS, PEX) and/or Synopsys IC Validator.
- Proven experience with PDK integration and support for advanced CMOS nodes; hands-on experience with TSMC N3P and/or N2P process nodes strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with TSMC design rule documents (DRM), analog design guidelines (ADG), and tape-out sign-off requirements for N3P/N2P.
- Proficiency in at least two scripting languages: Python, SKILL, Tcl, or Perl.
- Experience managing EDA tool licensing (FlexLM/RLM) and floating license optimization.
- Strong understanding of Linux/Unix computing environments and HPC cluster management.
- Experience with custom digital/mixed-signal flows, including OpenAccess, Virtuoso Layout Suite XL, or Virtuoso RF.
- Familiarity with post-layout simulation (EMIR, noise, reliability) methodologies.
- Knowledge of EM/IR analysis tools (Voltus, RedHawk) applied to analog/custom blocks.
- Prior people management or technical lead experience in a tape-out-oriented environment.
- Experience with high-speed I/O, SerDes, PLLs, or RF circuit design CAD flows.
- Familiarity with configuration management tools and agile project tracking (SOS, JIRA, Confluence).
This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative and brilliant team. You’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.
Benefits
Join a team that invests in your future and your well-being. At Neurophos, we offer:
- 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions.
- Unlimited PTO. No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery.
- 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success.
- Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
- Personalized Benefits. Choose the plans that fit your life and take the cash back for those that don’t.