Design Verification Manager(DV)

Avicena is a privately held company developing microLED based ultra-low power high bandwidth interconnects for chip-to-chip communications.  This technology will revolutionize High-Performance (HPC) and Cloud computing, as well as other industries where low power interconnects are critical like camera sensors, autonomous vehicles, and aerospace. Avicena is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with a development center in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded in 2019 by leading technologists from the optical networking industry with a track record of delivering breakthrough products.  (www.avicena.tech)   

About The Role:

Avicena is seeking an experienced and strategic Manager of Design Verification (DV) to lead our team in ensuring the functional excellence of our next-generation silicon photonics and optical interconnect chips. You will be responsible for defining the verification strategy, managing team execution, and driving best-in-class methodologies to achieve first-pass silicon success on complex, high-speed digital integrated circuits (ICs). 

Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & Management: Lead, mentor, and manage a team of Design Verification Engineers. Responsibilities include hiring, performance reviews, career development, and resource allocation. 
• Verification Strategy: Define and own the overall DV strategy and execution plan for multiple complex digital blocks and full-chip verification, ensuring alignment with architectural goals and tape-out schedules. 
• Methodology Ownership: Drive the adoption, maintenance, and continuous improvement of cutting-edge verification methodologies (primarily UVM) and flows to enhance efficiency, reusability, and quality across projects. 
• Testbench Development: Develop comprehensive and reusable verification environments (Testbenches) using advanced methodologies like UVM (Universal Verification Methodology). 
• Resource and Schedule Management: Establish project schedules, track progress, manage verification resources, and proactively identify and mitigate technical and schedule risks. 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary point of contact for verification, liaising extensively with Architecture, Frontend Design, Physical Design, and Firmware teams to ensure clear communication and seamless hand-offs. 
• Quality and Coverage Sign-off: Define and enforce rigorous sign-off criteria for all functional, code, and formal coverage metrics, ensuring the designs are fully verified and meet tape-out quality standards. 
• Tool and EDA Management: Evaluate, select, and manage relationships with EDA vendors for simulation, formal, and debug tools, ensuring the team has the necessary resources. 
• Technical Oversight: Provide high-level technical guidance and oversight on complex verification challenges, debug efforts, and the application of advanced techniques (e.g., formal verification). 

Qualifications:

• Required: 
• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. 
• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. 
• Experience: 8+ years of total industry experience in ASIC/SoC design verification, including 2+ years of experience in a formal management or technical lead role with direct reports. 
• Experience: 8+ years of total industry experience in ASIC/SoC design verification, including 2+ years of experience in a formal management or technical lead role with direct reports. 
• Methodology Expertise: Deep, hands-on expertise in defining and deploying comprehensive, scalable verification environments using System Verilog and UVM. 
• Methodology Expertise: Deep, hands-on expertise in defining and deploying comprehensive, scalable verification environments using System Verilog and UVM. 
• Project Execution: Proven track record of successfully driving the verification of at least two complex, high-speed ASIC designs from planning through to tape-out and silicon validation. 
• Project Execution: Proven track record of successfully driving the verification of at least two complex, high-speed ASIC designs from planning through to tape-out and silicon validation. 
• System Understanding: Strong system-level understanding and ability to translate high-level specifications into effective verification goals. 
• System Understanding: Strong system-level understanding and ability to translate high-level specifications into effective verification goals. 
• Communication Skills: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills to effectively manage team dynamics and influence cross-functional decisions. 
• Communication Skills: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills to effectively manage team dynamics and influence cross-functional decisions. 
• Preferred (Nice to Have): 
• Experience in verifying high-speed interfaces (e.g., SerDes, PCIe, Ethernet) or optical communication protocols. 
• Experience in verifying high-speed interfaces (e.g., SerDes, PCIe, Ethernet) or optical communication protocols. 
• Exposure to forward error correction (FEC), scrambling, and other digital data communication techniques. 
• Exposure to forward error correction (FEC), scrambling, and other digital data communication techniques. 
• Direct experience with formal verification techniques and tool integration into the standard flow. 
• Direct experience with formal verification techniques and tool integration into the standard flow. 
• Proficiency in advanced scripting/automation (Python) for large-scale data analysis and flow management. 
• Proficiency in advanced scripting/automation (Python) for large-scale data analysis and flow management. 
• Experience with low-power verification strategies and tools. 
• Experience with low-power verification strategies and tools.