Physical Design Lead

About OLIX

AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. The OLIX Decode Accelerator 1 (DX-1) is the first accelerator architected specifically for decode. Rack-scale co-design of logic, data movement, packaging, optics and interconnect enables a step change in system level performance.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Physical Design Technical leader with a strong focus on AI-enhanced methodology to take a lead role in building our Physical Design team and design environment.
This role will be a combination of leading portions of the Physical Design execution along with defining a world-class design environment that leverages modern AI-enhanced design tools/flows.
This is a highly collaborative, in-office role based in Austin, TX, working closely with cross-
functional teams locally while also partnering with engineers in our London and Bristol offices to drive coordinated, global execution.

Responsibilities

An individual in this role will not be expected to cover ALL of the following areas of focus but the role will be expected to contribute in a range of areas.

• Provide technical leadership to internal and external PD resources during the design of the OLIX compute die.

• Assist in the definition of the chip floorplan, partitioning strategy, and hierarchical implementation model across digital and analog boundaries

• Provide focused leadership to the team optimizing PPA (power, performance, area) for the different subsystems across the design.

• Work with the timing engineers to drive the design to final timing closure and power integrity.

• Provide leadership in enabling AI-based enhancements for the PD design flows.

Skills & Experience

• 12+ years of experience in ASIC physical design, with multiple successful tapeouts

• Hands-on experience in advanced FinFET nodes (7nm, 5nm, or below)

• Proven experience leading large-scale physical design efforts across distributed, multi-site, or global teams

• Strong track record managing external vendors or design service partners

• Deep expertise in timing closure, power integrity, and physical verification at advanced nodes

• Strong understanding of full-chip floorplanning, including analog/digital partitioning

Nice to have

• Experience with AI/ML accelerators or high-performance compute (HPC) designs

• Experience with advanced packaging (2.5D/3D integration)

• Background in low-power design techniques at scale

• Prior experience operating in a fabless startup model leveraging external execution partners

Compensation & Equity

• Competitive Salary: $306,000+, commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.

• Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options. You’re not just joining the mission; you’re owning a piece of it.

• Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer a $36k annual Living-Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.

Time Off

• Time Off: 33 days of paid time off (PTO), including US federal holidays.

Health & Wellbeing

• Healthcare Coverage: Multiple high-quality medical plan options, including family coverage.

• Health Savings Account: A high-deductible medical option with a company-funded health savings account (HSA).

• Dental & Vision: Dental and vision coverage.

• Additional Coverage: Life insurance, plus short- and long-term disability.

• Wellbeing Support: Mental health resources, fertility and family-building support.

• Commuter Benefits: Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits.

Retirement

• 401(k): Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% employer match, with both traditional and Roth contribution options. Employees also have access to a dedicated financial advisor to support portfolio selection and long-term planning.

The Workspace & Tech

• M4 Macs come as standard, with M4 Pro upgrades for our engineering team. We will provide whatever you need to do your best work.

• High-spec noise-cancelling headphones and a fully ergonomic workstation designed for deep focus.

• Rapid Prototyping: Access to our high-performance 3D printing lab for work, experimentation, and personal creative projects.

Life at the Office

• Chef-prepared meals: if you need to work late.

Relocation & Global Mobility

• Visa Sponsorship: We hire the best in the world. We offer full UK and international visa sponsorship.

• Seamless Relocation: Whether you’re moving across the country or across the globe, our dedicated relocation partner provides funding and concierge support to get you settled.

Due to U.S. export control regulations, candidates’ eligibility to work at OLIX depends on their most recent citizenship or permanent residency status. We are generally unable to consider applicants whose most recent citizenship or permanent residence is in certain restricted countries (currently including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Venezuela). Applicants who have subsequently obtained citizenship or permanent residency in another country not subject to these restrictions may still be eligible