Principal Mixed Signal Engineer, Texas Institute for Electronics Full-time

Principal Mixed Signal Engineer

Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) is a transformative, well-funded semiconductor foundry venture combining the agility of a startup with the scale of a national initiative.

A key part of our mission is to advance the state of the art in 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI), chiplet-based architectures, and multi-component microsystems- catalyzing breakthroughs across microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, high-performance computing, and next-generation healthcare devices.

Backed by $1.4 billion in combined funding from DARPA, Texas state initiatives, and strategic partners, we are building foundational capabilities in advanced packaging and integrated design infrastructure to restore U.S. leadership in microelectronics manufacturing.

TIE's 3DHI and chiplet integration platforms integrate novel thermal management and advanced interconnect solutions to deliver unprecedented performance and energy efficiency. Operating at the intersection of defense electronics and commercial markets, TIE offers a rare opportunity to reimagine an industry from the ground up and build transformative products with global impact.

UT Austin, recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers, provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 8.25% employer matching funds
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

Purpose

The purpose of the Principal Mixed Signals Engineer is to develop next-generation digital subsystems and compute fabrics for 2.5D/3D microsystems, enabling scalable, high-bandwidth integration across AI, HPC, and wireless acceleration platforms. This includes defining architecture specifications, collaborating with teams to optimize performance, and engaging with semiconductor industry partners to shape ecosystem directions.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop high-speed mixed-signal I/O circuits for UCIe 2.5D and 3.0D die-to-die interfaces in 2.5D/3D microsystems—enabling robust, low-latency chiplet interconnect across AI, HPC, and defense platforms.
• Architect and optimize SerDes, clock/data recovery (CDR), equalization, and transceiver circuits for high-speed die-to-die and chip-to-chip links, including UCIe, PCIe physical layers.
• Collaborate with packaging, EDA, and system modeling teams to co-optimize mixed-signal I/O performance across heterogeneous integration stacks—accounting for signal integrity, power delivery, crosstalk, and thermal effects unique to 3DHI.
• Lead silicon bring-up, bench characterization, and production testing of high-speed I/O and mixed-signal circuits—developing test methodologies, ATE programs, and yield-improvement strategies from prototype through volume production.
• Engage with industry partners and standards bodies (UCIe Consortium) to influence specification development and ensure TIE's physical-layer implementations remain standards-aligned.
• Mentor internal design teams on mixed-signal design methodologies, high-speed measurement techniques, and production test best practices for multi-die systems.
• Translate mixed-signal design innovations into IP roadmaps and reference designs, driving alignment between research, productization, and customer enablement for UCIe-based chiplet ecosystems.

Required Qualifications

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering with emphasis on analog/mixed-signal or high-speed circuit design (or equivalent practical experience).
• 12+ years of experience in mixed-signal or high-speed I/O circuit design for SoC/ASIC, with direct involvement in SerDes, UCIe, or comparable die-to-die/chip-to-chip interface IP.
• Deep expertise in high-speed transceiver design—including TX/RX front-ends, CDR, equalization (CTLE, DFE), PLLs/DLLs, and signal integrity analysis for multi-Gbps links.
• Hands-on experience with silicon bring-up, lab characterization (high-speed oscilloscopes, BER testers, network analyzers), and production test development on ATE platforms.
• Proficiency with industry-standard analog/mixed-signal EDA tools (Cadence Virtuoso/Spectre, Synopsys HSPICE, Ansys HFSS/SIwave) and parasitic-aware simulation methodologies.
• Strong cross-disciplinary collaboration—able to interface with digital design, packaging, EDA, and process engineering teams to close mixed-signal performance across the 3DHI stack.
• Proven record of taking high-speed mixed-signal IP from design through silicon validation and into production.
• Location. Austin, Texas is preferred for close collaboration with our engineering teams and partners. Hybrid work arrangements may be possible, with travel up to 30–50% as needed. (Any flexible arrangement would be subject to university policies and approvals. Working outside of the state of Texas is subject to University review and approval in relation to jurisdictional employment and tax related laws, rules, and regulations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with emphasis on analog/mixed-signal or high-speed circuit design (or equivalent practical experience).
• Direct design experience with UCIe 2.5D (single-ended, shoreline-optimized) and/or UCIe 3.0D (hybrid-bonding, ultra-short-reach) physical-layer implementations.
• Familiarity with heterogeneous (multi-material and/or multi-function) integration challenges—including crosstalk modeling, power delivery network design, and signal integrity in 2.5D/3D hybrid-bonding and interposer stacks.
• Experience designing SerDes or high-speed I/O IP at 28 Gbps and above (e.g., 56G/112G PAM4), with end-to-end ownership spanning specification, design, tape-out, silicon characterization, and production test.
• Knowledge of interconnect and chiplet standards (UCIe, BoW, CXL, PCIe Gen 5/6, NVLink, UALink) and their physical-layer requirements and compliance testing.
• Track record of publications, patents, or industry leadership in mixed-signal circuit design, high-speed I/O, or SerDes architectures.

Salary Range

TIE pays industry-competitive salaries.

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity (ex: using a mouse)

Work Shift

• Monday – Friday: Standard and Flexible

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor