Technical Lead

ASIC Design Lead – Cambridge or Bristol

A US-based AI start-up has recently expanded into the UK and is building a world-class hardware team of ASIC Designers, Verification Engineers, and Architects . Backed by a proven leadership team, this is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage and play a pivotal role in shaping both the technology and the engineering culture .

As computing evolves, the demand for platforms that integrate CPUs, GPUs, and neural accelerators has never been greater. You’ll step in as an ASIC Technical Lead , combining deep hands-on expertise with strong leadership skills. This role is ideal for someone who wants to remain technically engaged while guiding, mentoring, and influencing a growing team.

Responsibilities

• Take technical ownership of ASIC design projects, from concept to silicon.
• Define and drive microarchitecture strategy for highly configurable IPs.
• Lead RTL coding and implementation , ensuring optimal performance, power, and area.
• Partner closely with verification, physical design, and architecture teams to deliver first-time-right silicon.
• Act as a technical authority , setting design standards, reviewing code, and ensuring best practices.
• Mentor and coach junior engineers , providing technical guidance and career development support.
• Help shape the UK design centre , contributing to hiring, team building, and process definition.
• Represent the UK team in cross-site technical discussions with global colleagues.

Qualifications & Skills

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science .
• 8+ years of hands-on experience in microarchitecture and RTL design.
• Proven experience as a team or technical lead within ASIC/SoC projects.
• Proficiency in Verilog and SystemVerilog .
• Strong knowledge of EDA tools and flows .
• In-depth expertise with on-chip interconnects and NoCs .
• Experience designing cache/memory subsystems, interconnects, or NoCs is a strong plus.
• Background in CPU/GPU design desirable.

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary up to £120,000 (DOE)
• Share options + performance-based bonus
• A true leadership opportunity : shape a new UK design centre, set technical direction, and help define engineering culture.
• Be among the first engineers in the UK , with visibility and influence at the global level.

Additional Information

• Candidates must already be living and working in the UK (visa sponsorship not currently available).