Director of Silicon Engineering, AI-Native Chip Design

Job Title Director of Silicon Engineering, AI-Native Chip Design About Cognichip At Cognichip, we are building AI-native tools that transform how semiconductor engineers create, verify, and optimize chips. Our platform combines large proprietary models, agentic workflows, domain-specific engineering intelligence, and high-performance simulation infrastructure to accelerate one of the world’s most complex engineering disciplines. About the Role We are seeking a Director of Silicon Engineering to scale our AI-native chip design organization. This leader will bridge deep technical expertise with strategic management to build a high-performing team. Collaborating with Product, SW, and AI teams, you will pioneer the next generation of AI-first hardware tools. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of shipping production silicon and a passion for re-imagining chip design workflows through an AI lens. Key Responsibilities - Build, lead, and grow a high-performing hardware engineering team, including hiring, mentoring, and establishing management structure as the org scales- Set the technical roadmap for translating chip-design expertise into AI-consumable knowledge bases, agent playbooks, model training data, and tool-aware workflows- Own delivery of production-quality outcomes on schedule, partnering closely with Product, SW and AI/ML teams Required Qualifications - 20+ years of experience across architecture, RTL design, verification, and physical design stages- Proven experience building and leading engineering teams of 20+- Track record of shipping multiple production ASIC/SoC products end-to-end- Experience with, and exposure to, AI/ML-driven chip design workflows, tooling Preferred Qualifications - Experience with CAD systems; experience integrating workflows with EDA tools- Experience developing, interacting with, or influencing, multi-disciplinary products involving HW, SW and AI What It's Like Here - We’re a fast-moving AI startup with a collaborative, high-trust culture.- We value technical excellence, ownership, and the freedom to experiment.- Our best work happens when our builders and innovators work closely together to turn ambitious ideas into category defining products.- We operate on a hybrid schedule with four days in office, one day remote.- If you’re excited to build cutting edge tools that empower semiconductor engineers and reshape how chips are designed, you’ll feel right at home.