Tech Lead, Formal Verification

We are looking for a Tech Lead, Formal Verification Engineer with 5–10 years of experience to lead formal verification efforts for complex IP and SoC designs. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in assertion-based verification, property checking, formal proof methodologies, and advanced verification tools. This role requires close collaboration with Architecture, RTL Design, and Design Verification teams to ensure first-pass silicon success for Astera Labs' next-generation connectivity and AI infrastructure products.

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop comprehensive formal verification plans from architecture and design specifications by identifying critical design properties, protocol requirements, and micro-architectural invariants.
• Develop and execute formal verification environments, assertions, properties, and checkers.
• Drive proof convergence through advanced abstraction and complexity reduction techniques.
• Collaborate with RTL designers, architects, and verification teams to understand design intent and verification requirements.
• Evaluate, deploy, and scale formal verification methodologies, flows, and tools across projects.
• Improve verification productivity through reusable methodologies, automation, and best practices.
• Ensure comprehensive design correctness and provide technical leadership and mentorship across multiple projects.
• Drive bug triage, root-cause analysis, and resolution in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Support project planning by estimating verification effort, tracking execution progress, identifying risks, and driving mitigation plans.
• Participate in design reviews and contribute to verification sign-off strategies and quality metrics.
• Promote assertion-driven design practices and formal verification adoption across engineering teams.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. 
• 5-10 experience in semiconductor verification, including significant formal verification experience.
• Expert knowledge of SystemVerilog, SVA,Verification planning & closure and ABV verification techniques. 
• Hands-on experience with one or more formal verification tools – JG, VCF preferably. 
• Experience verifying complex protocols, control logic, and SoC or subsystem-level designs. 
• Strong scripting skills in Python, Perl, Tcl, or Shell.
• Excellent analytical, debugging, and problem-solving capabilities
• Experience leading technical efforts or mentoring team members. 
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with industry-standard formal verification tools such as JasperGold, VC Formal, or equivalent solutions.
• Experience verifying high-speed protocols and interfaces including PCIe®, UALink™, CXL®, Ethernet, SerDes, or related technologies.
• Knowledge of NoC architectures, cache coherency protocols, memory subsystems, and interconnect fabrics.
• Experience with formal bug hunting, proof-based verification, and coverage-driven verification methodologies.
• Prior experience leading technical teams and mentoring engineers.
• Exposure to simulation, emulation, and the broader verification lifecycle is a plus.
• Track record of contributing to successful silicon tape-outs.