Director of ASIC Design Verification

SambaNova Systems · San Jose, California · $270,000 - $340,000 USD · Posted 2026-08-19

SambaNova is a leader in next-generation AI infrastructure, delivering a full-stack inference platform for customers worldwide. At the core of SambaNova's technology is the RDU (Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit) — a chip built on a dataflow architecture rather than the traditional GPU model. Its decode performance is especially strong for agentic workloads like multi-turn agents, code generation, and long-running applications. RDUs are packaged into SambaRack, rack-scale hardware that lets customers deploy state-of-the-art models with better performance, greater energy efficiency, and faster time to value.

About the team

The DV team verifies SambaNova's RDU chips before they tape out. That covers block, full-chip, and gate-level benches, performance verification, coverage closure, and emulation and FPGA prototyping. When first silicon comes back, the same engineers debug bring-up in the lab.

About the role

SambaNova Systems is looking for a Director of ASIC Design Verification to own end to end verification for the next generation of our RDU chips. This role asks for genuine depth in verification, not just management of it. You'll be the technical authority on methodology as well as the leader of the team.

You'll set verification architecture and strategy across the full chip and be accountable for pre-silicon quality through tape-out. The work spans block through full-chip and gate-level benches, performance verification, coverage closure, and emulation and FPGA prototyping. You'll be the DV voice in roadmap and tape-out readiness decisions, and your ownership carries into first silicon, supporting functional validation and bring-up debug in the lab.

You'll lead an experienced team of 8-10 engineers, including principal-level engineers who have built and evolved our verification environment across several generations of silicon. That depth is the most valuable thing you inherit. You'll own where the environment goes next, including the decision to change it, and we expect you to arrive with a point of view. You'll also own the team's growth, leveling, and technical bar as our silicon roadmap scales.

Responsibilities

Own verification through tape-out

Own pre-silicon functional and performance verification for SambaNova ASICs — quality, coverage closure, and on-time delivery to tape-out
Define verification architecture, strategy, schedules, and DV environments for complex, high-performance machine learning ASICs
Serve as the technical authority on verification: arbitrate testbench architecture, set coverage and sign-off criteria, and lead debug on the hardest failures
Set and defend the DV schedule and own tape-out readiness sign-off, including the trade-off between coverage depth and time to silicon; report risk and readiness to executive staff with a clear point of view, not just a dashboard
Carry ownership into first silicon — support lab functional validation and bring-up debug, feeding findings back into the pre-silicon environment

Lead and grow the team

Bring a strong point of view on methodology, and be willing to disagree with the team and with peers when the engineering case supports it
Own the direction of an established verification environment — understand the reasoning behind it, then decide what to evolve and what to replace
Lead, coach, and retain principal-level verification engineers; be accountable for their development and continued engagement
Grow the team toward a multi-workstream org: own staffing requirements, leveling, interview loop design, closing senior candidates, and developing technical leads

Own the methodology

Own the DV methodology end to end — verification architecture, reuse strategy, and sign-off criteria
Lead development of test benches, agents, checkers, and stimulus at block, full-chip, system, and gate level
Drive pre-silicon debug and closure in both functionality and performance; own regression health and root-cause discipline
Land new DV methodologies and processes, including AI-assisted verification workflows, to improve execution effectiveness and efficiency
Direct emulation and FPGA prototyping strategy, and own third-party verification IP evaluation and EDA vendor relationships for DV tooling

Partner across the organization

Partner with architecture, design, and software teams to settle requirements and drive DV planning
Work with the compiler and runtime teams to map ML application flows into verification, so silicon is validated against real workloads
Partner with hardware and systems teams on lab validation of first silicon, and represent DV in reviews with physical design, process and quality, and product

Required qualifications

BS in EE, CS, or CE with 12+ years (or equivalent) of industry experience in ASIC design verification
5+ years managing design verification engineers, including hiring and performance management, with experience leading senior and principal-level engineers
Track record of inheriting an established verification environment and evolving it with the team rather than replacing it wholesale
Deep, current technical expertise in verification — able to own methodology, arbitrate testbench architecture, and personally lead debug on the hardest pre-silicon failures
Full-cycle DV from planning through tape-out and into production silicon on at least one complex ASIC or large subsystem
Deep hands-on foundation in SystemVerilog, SVA, Python, and industry verification methodologies such as UVM, OVM, or VMM
Experience through silicon bring-up, including lab functional validation and debugging first-silicon issues to root cause
Working knowledge of machine learning SoCs or microprocessors (CPU/GPU) and modern computer architecture
Excellent communication skills and a track record of building consensus among stakeholders and team members

Preferred qualifications

MS or PhD in EECS with 15+ years of experience in ASIC design verification
Multiple large-scale, high-impact chips led to silicon
Scaling a DV team through a step change in headcount or chip complexity
Owning or directing post-silicon functional validation in a lab environment
Deep understanding of performance verification methodology
High-performance interconnect protocols (PCIe, Ethernet) and memory subsystems
Advanced TSMC nodes and modern multi-die or chiplet verification challenges
Emulation and FPGA prototyping platforms
Managing cross-site or distributed teams
Fluency with Claude or other AI tools applied to verification and flow development

Base Salary Range:

Base Pay Range

$270,000—$340,000 USD

**Submission Guidelines **Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at SambaNova Systems, you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified.

**EEO Policy **SambaNova Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Benefits Summary for US-Based, Full-Time Employment Positions SambaNova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits. We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution. We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care. Our library of well-being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.

About SambaNova Systems

SambaNova Systems builds AI hardware and integrated systems to run AI applications from the data center to the cloud.