At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-performing team to innovate AI-native chip design tools.
- Company: Join Cognichip, a fast-moving AI startup with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work schedule, and opportunities for experimentation.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a focus on technical excellence and ownership.
- Why this job: Shape the future of chip design and empower engineers with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 20+ years in silicon engineering and proven leadership experience.
Location: Toronto, ON, CA
FULL_TIME Salary: 270,000–300,000 CAD / year
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.
Director of Silicon Engineering, AI-Native Chip Design in Toronto employer: Octopyd
Cognichip is an exceptional employer located in Toronto, ON, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation thrives. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and technical excellence, employees enjoy opportunities for professional growth while working on cutting-edge AI-native tools that redefine chip design. The hybrid work model fosters a healthy work-life balance, making it an ideal place for those passionate about transforming the semiconductor industry.
