Hardware Engineer

SemiAnalysis•Hillsboro, OR

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Hardware Engineer, Design expert, or Architect to join our team in Hillsboro, OR specializing in technical analysis of AI and datacenter hardware. This role involves analyzing product architecture, design, and manufacturing processes and being an active contributor in the planning, tools, and processes required to acquire this information. This role requires a mix of technical expertise, design sensibility, and autonomy. You’ll need to work independently, collaborate across our globally distributed team, to examine and report on the design choices, optimizations, and trade-offs in competing hardware, translating physical analysis into actionable insights. The role rewards curiosity. The strongest people in this work are drawn to investigation — taking apart what they could have helped design, connecting physical evidence to architectural intent and roadmap signals, and following threads beyond any single prior role.

Requirements

Hiring at all experience levels.
2+ years in hardware architecture, product design, silicon engineering, post-silicon debug, or closely equivalent, with genuine exposure to leading-edge parts.
Strong functional knowledge of AI and datacenter hardware architecture (GPUs, CPUs, accelerators) on advanced process nodes
Direct experience in physical or electrical failure analysis, fault isolation, device debug, or related physical root-cause work
Understanding of Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) principles
Hands-on experience with, or strong aptitude for working with experts in, semiconductor sample preparation and analytical tools — precision prep, FIB, SEM, TEM, X-ray, and compositional methods.

Nice To Haves

Product design or manufacturing R&D in advanced packaging (2.5D / 3D, high-speed interconnects, hybrid bonding)
Broad understanding of advanced manufacturing across CMOS logic, memory, and emerging technologies
Interpreting micrographs and electrical measurements to infer design and process characteristics
Comfort developing plans for physical and electrical FA toolchains
Python for data analysis and engineering tasks
Strong professional network of experts
Statistical and process-control literacy
Architectural fluency — CPU / GPU / ASIC floor planning, memory hierarchy, and advanced I/O are native language for you
Cross-industry context — you place any architectural choice against vendor and competitor history without reaching for a reference
Physical intuition, or willingness to build it fast — you know what is real and what is artifact
Written argument — your technical writing holds up under expert scrutiny
Curiosity and ownership — you're drawn to investigate; you ship and close your own loops
Agency — you deliver on your responsibilities and support others in theirs. You treat everyone you work with as a peer and leave concepts of hierarchy at the door.

Responsibilities

Conduct detailed architectural analysis of AI and datacenter hardware — GPUs, ASICs, CPUs, custom accelerators, high-speed I/O, memory subsystems, and their packaging
Drive end-to-end teardown and characterization; operate the analytical toolchain and direct more specialized work as needed
Identify competitive advantages, disadvantages, and generational changes in hardware design, packaging, and system-level decisions
Apply Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) and System Technology Co-Optimization (STCO) reasoning to interpret architectural trade-offs and process-design interactions
Co-author technical research published by SemiAnalysis — physical observation, cross-industry context, and argument all in your words
Contribute to the growth and expansion of the lab's capabilities and output; bring your unique skills to a strong and expansive team