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Vice President, Silicon Engineering

Fabric Cryptography

Fabric Cryptography

Santa Clara, CA, USA
Posted on Jun 18, 2024
FABRIC CRYPTOGRAPHY
FABRIC CREATES NEXT-GENERATION CRYPTOGRAPHY TECHNOLOGY THAT REIMAGINES TRUST AND PRIVACY.
Fabric is a fast-growing Series A deep tech company (full-stack across silicon, hardware and cloud) that was founded to unlock the next generation of cryptography. Encryption and decryption secured the Internet as we know it. The next paradigm of cryptography will revolutionize how we trust each other.
We are the first to build a new class of processor for the rapidly emerging verifiable compute market. Fabric’s flagship product - the Verifiable Processing Unit (VPU) - is a general-purpose, fully programmable cryptography chip built from the ground up to accelerate next-gen cryptography, such as zero-knowledge proofs and fully homomorphic encryption. With $39 million in equity and >$60 million in pre-orders, we are rapidly scaling our team of 60+ employees to build the foundation of verifiability for the Internet.
About the role Fabric is seeking a highly skilled and experienced VP of Silicon Development to lead our silicon team in developing advanced cryptographic processors. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on leader, adept at managing the bring-up and mass production of our current 12nm chip and spearheading future lower node tape-outs (TSMC 4-7nm with HBM). This role requires close collaboration with our software team to ensure seamless hardware-software co-design from inception.
Key responsibilities include driving aggressive tape-out schedules, collaborating closely with our software organization for seamless hardware-software co-design, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, bug-free silicon. You will provide technical guidance, make critical decisions on chip architecture, design methodologies, and verification strategies, and maintain strong relationships with foundries, IP providers, and EDA tool vendors. Additionally, you will manage the silicon development budget and resources effectively, all while being actively involved in the development process, exemplifying leadership from the front lines.

What you’ll be doing...

  • Lead and grow the silicon development team (~20-25 people), focusing on microarchitecture, co-design, design verification, and physical design.
  • Collaborate closely with the software team to optimize system-level performance for cryptographic workloads.
  • Provide technical guidance and make critical decisions on chip architecture, design methodologies, verification, and physical implementation.
  • Oversee backend development, including EDA tooling and outsourced LVS/DRC contractors.
  • Drive aggressive tapeout schedules while maintaining high design quality.
  • Participate actively in the development process, leading by example.
  • Manage the silicon development budget and resource allocation.
  • Build and maintain relationships with foundries, IP providers, and EDA tool vendors, leading negotiations.
  • Ensure comprehensive chip documentation for systems/ops teams, OEM/ODMs, and external partners.

Qualifications and experience requirements...

  • 15-20+ years in the semiconductor industry, with significant team and program leadership experience in advanced chip development.
  • Proven track record of leading and delivering complex SoCs or ASICs at advanced nodes (7nm or below).
  • Deep understanding of advanced process technologies and their impact on design and manufacturing.
  • Experience with advanced packaging technologies like 2.5D/3D integration and chiplets.
  • Familiarity with challenges associated with 5nm nodes.
  • Strong technical leadership and mentoring skills.
  • Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
  • Experience managing large budgets and vendor relationships.
  • Hands-on expertise in Verilog.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
  • BS/MS degree required. Advanced degree (PhD) in electrical engineering or computer science/engineering preferred.
Fabric Cryptography is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.