Audio Mixed Signal Design Engineer
The job description
Tech stack. Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre, MATLAB audio analysis, APx audio analyzers, Verilog-AMS, low-noise CMOS PDKs
About the role
You will design audio signal-chain ICs at a fabless semiconductor company building codecs and smart amplifiers for consumer and automotive products. The team owns the full audio path: microphone interfaces, ADCs, DACs, class-D output stages, and the clocking that keeps them all clean. This role matters because audio quality is judged by human ears and measured in THD+N numbers that customers compare ruthlessly, and your circuits set both. You will work with systems engineers on acoustic tuning and with firmware on audio path configuration, since the final listening experience depends on the whole chain you help define.
What you will achieve
- Ship audio-path blocks (audio ADC, DAC, microphone preamp, or class-D output stage) with measured THD+N and dynamic range meeting flagship-tier specs (100 dB+ dynamic range where targeted) on first silicon.
- Drive noise floor down through circuit technique: chopping, correlated double sampling, and careful reference design that push idle-channel noise below audibility in real products.
- Reduce power in always-on audio paths (voice wake-up, ANC) by designing microwatt microphone interfaces and ADCs that keep the product listening without draining the battery.
- Own the audio clocking budget: jitter and phase noise analysis showing your clock contribution sits well below the converter's quantization noise, verified in measurement.
- Cut audio-specific field issues (pops, clicks, idle tones) by designing and verifying power sequencing, mute behavior, and mode transitions with the system team before tapeout.
What you will bring
Must-haves
- 2-5 years designing audio or precision low-noise analog circuits (audio ADCs/DACs, preamps, or class-D amplifiers) with measured THD+N results.
- Deep understanding of audio metrics: THD+N, dynamic range, SNR, PSRR, and how each maps to circuit choices.
- Experience with continuous-time delta-sigma ADCs or DACs, the dominant architecture in audio, including loop filter design and excess loop delay compensation.
- Low-noise design skills: flicker noise management, chopping, and reference noise budgeting for 100 dB+ dynamic range.
- Lab measurement with audio analyzers (APx or equivalent): THD+N sweeps, FFT analysis, and idle-channel noise measurement.
- Understanding of psychoacoustic relevance: knowing which specs matter audibly and designing to them, not just to the datasheet.
Nice-to-haves
- Class-D amplifier design experience: PWM modulators, feedback, EMI control, and filterless operation.
- Knowledge of digital audio interfaces (I2S, TDM, PDM, SoundWire).
- Familiarity with ANC or beamforming system requirements.
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