Staff Engineer - Validation Austin, Texas

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.

The Staff Validation Hardware Design Engineer is responsible for architecting, designing, and managing the fabrication and production of printed circuit board (PCB) hardware to support internal silicon validation and characterization, automated system tools, and application boards. This includes designing the board hardware schematics and PCB layout, creating fabrication files and drawings, and managing the assembly, production, and test of the system.

The candidate will develop automated software and test scripts for validating board hardware and microcontroller interoperability, and participate in other aspects of board-level silicon hardware development and silicon validation.

• Lead the architecture and system design of custom ultra-low power PCB hardware used for silicon validation, automation tools, application and system evaluation, and demonstration systems
• Review board technical specifications and design details with internal engineering teams
• Create hardware system guidelines, user manuals, and other documentation
• Identify and evaluate specific board components needed to meet hardware system specifications
• PCB schematic design entry and simulation using Cadence Orcad schematic capture tools
• PCB layout design, editing, and optimization using Cadence Allegro PCB layout tools
• Create PCB bill‑of‑materials and manage component database content and synchronization
• Create PCB fabrication files and drawings, and review for cost and manufacturability
• Work with board fabrication and assembly manufacturers throughout the board build process
• Create test plans for board hardware system bring‑up and performance characterization
• Develop software test scripts using TCL and/or Python and embedded C/C++ for automated board hardware testing
• Internal engineering team and external customer board hardware system support
• Work with the silicon design and SOC layout team to optimize BGA and CSP package ball maps and package substrate routing to ensure best performance and lowest PCB manufacturing cost
• Verify board hardware meets compliance standards (USB, MIPI display, Bluetooth LE, and other wireless protocols)
• Perform PCB test routes for high‑density BGA and CSP SOCs with integrated power converters, high‑performance analog, RF, and high‑speed digital interfaces
• Support internal engineering teams and application engineers with MCU hardware system integration
• Assist with silicon hardware…