The biggest bottleneck in AI systems today is memory. Chips compute faster than they can be fed data—a problem known as the memory wall—and Netpreme is building the solution that allows AI memory to scale independently of AI compute. Our approach spans the full stack, from a proprietary memory management framework at the XPU kernel and OS levels to X-Mem™, the world’s first Memory Processing Unit (MPU) silicon. Founded by MIT researchers at the intersection of optical networking, ML systems, and GPU kernel optimization, we’re based in Cambridge, MA, and Santa Clara, CA. We’re looking for people who want to own hard problems end to end—and help shape the next generation of AI systems.
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About the RoleWe are seeking a Director of ASIC Verification who leads from the front: you'll own verification strategy, sign-off, and the team — and you'll also be one of the strongest hands-on verification engineers here, writing testbenches, closing coverage, and debugging the hardest failures.
This role will be performed onsite from our office in Santa Clara, CA.
The OpportunityImpact: AI is advancing faster than the infrastructure underneath it. We’re working at that layer, unlocking more capability from every GPU while dramatically improving efficiency. The work you do here compounds across state-of-the-art models, systems, and real-world applications.
Timing: Joining now means real ownership, including equity, and a direct say in product direction. You’ll work from first principles, move quickly from insight to execution, and see your work show up in what we ship, not just in a roadmap.
Culture: We care about rigor, clarity, and impact. Disagreement is welcome when it’s thoughtful, the best idea wins regardless of who it comes from, and you’ll learn something new most weeks.
Own verification end-to-end: strategy, methodology (UVM, formal, emulation, coverage-driven closure), tape-out sign-off for Netpreme silicon, IP, subsystems and post silicon bringup support including test-vector generation.
Architect and author verification environments and testplans, review testbench code line-by-line, and personally drive debug of the hardest protocol, coverage, and bring-up issues
Recruit, lead, and develop a world-class verification organization that treats technical depth as the currency
Present verification readiness, metrics, and risk posture to engineering
leadership with conviction
BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
8+ years of progressive ASIC/SOC verification, with 5+ years leading verification teams
Demonstrable experience writing verification code, building testbenches, and closing coverage
Multiple tapeouts in advanced process nodes where you owned both deep technical work and sign-off
Hands-on experience with high-speed protocol IP — Ethernet, UCIe, UALink, or comparable
Fluent across the full ASIC/SOC lifecycle — microarchitecture through tape-out — on designs integrating interconnect, I/O, and memory subsystems
Executive communication skills; proven ability to manage risk, escalations, budget, and headcount on startup timelines
PhD in EE, CE, or related field
Built a verification team from zero at an early-stage startup while delivering milestones personally
Hands-on post-silicon bring-up, debug, and validation leadership
AI/datacenter accelerator background; familiarity with LLM memory/dataloader bottlenecks
Knowledge of DFT and its interaction with front-end verification
Competitive salary with performance-based bonus and early-stage equity grant
100% employer-paid Health, Dental, and Vision coverage for you and your dependents
401(k) match with immediate vesting, and access to financial advisors to help you reach your financial goals
100% employer-paid Life, Disability, and AD&D insurance, plus a fitness stipend and wellness & mental health perks
Generous PTO: 20 vacation days, 15 company holidays (including 3 floating days of your choosing)
Daily lunch stipend
Enterprise-level Claude & ChatGPT access with a generous token budget
Well-equipped, sunny offices in Santa Clara, CA & Cambridge, MA with on-site parking and EV charging; on-site fitness center in Santa Clara; gym discounts near our Cambridge office
Relocation assistance available to work in Santa Clara, CA.
Visa sponsorship and relocation assistance to one of our office hubs
A collaborative, continuous-learning environment with smart, dedicated colleagues building the next generation of high-performance computing architecture
Skills Required
- BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
- 8+ years of progressive ASIC or SoC verification experience
- 5+ years leading verification teams
- Experience writing verification code, building testbenches, and closing coverage
- Experience with multiple advanced-process-node tapeouts, including technical ownership and sign-off
- Hands-on experience with high-speed protocol IP such as Ethernet, UCIe, UALink, or comparable protocols
- Experience across the ASIC/SoC lifecycle from microarchitecture through tape-out, including interconnect, I/O, and memory subsystems
- Executive communication skills and experience managing risk, escalations, budget, and headcount
- PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
- Experience building a verification team from zero at an early-stage startup while delivering milestones personally
- Hands-on post-silicon bring-up, debug, and validation leadership
- AI or datacenter accelerator background and familiarity with LLM memory or dataloader bottlenecks
- Knowledge of DFT and its interaction with front-end verification
What We Do
Netpreme develops memory-to-compute interconnect solutions for generative AI systems, aiming to expand memory bandwidth and capacity, enhance efficiency, and reduce costs.
