Distinguished Engineer, SerDes Clocking in United States - Headquarters at Upscale, Inc.

About the Role

We are building a world-class SerDes engineering organization to enable next-generation, ultra-high-speed connectivity for AI data centers and high-performance computing.

We are seeking an exceptional technical leader to define the clocking architecture for next-generation SerDes, spanning ultra-low-jitter phase-locked loops (PLLs) and high-performance clock distribution networks.

This is a senior individual contributor role for a recognized expert in high-speed clocking technology who can drive architectural innovation, lead critical circuit development, and solve some of the most challenging jitter, coupling, and power-efficiency problems in advanced CMOS.

You will establish the clocking architecture and design methodology for our next-generation SerDes platform, working across analog, mixed-signal, digital, layout, and system teams to deliver exceptional timing performance in advanced process technologies at 5nm and below.

Responsibilities:

• Clocking Architecture: Define and drive the end-to-end clocking architecture for next-generation SerDes, including PLLs, clock generation, multiphase clocking, clock distribution, and integration with transmitter and receiver subsystems.
• Ultra-Low-Jitter PLL Design: Lead the architecture and development of ultra-low-jitter PLLs targeting less than 100 fs RMS integrated jitter in advanced CMOS technologies at 5nm and below, meeting stringent system-level timing and noise requirements.
• PLL Architecture Innovation: Evaluate and develop hybrid, digital, and other advanced PLL architectures, making informed trade-offs among jitter, power, area, tuning range, robustness, and implementation complexity.
• Multi-PLL Coupling Management: Develop architectural and circuit-level solutions to mitigate coupling among multiple PLLs and clock-generation blocks, including supply coupling, substrate noise, electromagnetic interactions, reference spurs, and clock-to-clock interference.
• Power-Efficient Clock Distribution: Define and implement advanced clock distribution architectures, including resonant clocking techniques, to reduce clocking power while maintaining stringent jitter, skew, phase-noise, and timing requirements.
• EM Analysis and Optimization: Use electromagnetic simulation and extraction tools to analyze and optimize inductors, resonant networks, clock distribution structures, coupling paths, and high-frequency interconnects.
• Modeling and Verification: Develop SystemVerilog-based behavioral models, verification environments, and architectural models for PLLs and clocking subsystems to enable early system integration, design exploration, and verification of key performance requirements.
• Cross-Functional Technical Leadership: Partner with SerDes TX, RX, ADC, digital, AMS layout, package, and silicon validation teams to optimize overall link performance and ensure clocking architecture decisions align with system requirements.
• Silicon Execution and Correlation: Drive design reviews, implementation strategy, silicon characterization, jitter and phase-noise analysis, and simulation-to-silicon correlation.

Qualifications:

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field, with extensive experience in high-performance analog and mixed-signal IC design.
• Demonstrated success designing and delivering ultra-low-jitter PLLs (100 fs-class RMS integrated jitter) in advanced CMOS technologies at 5nm or below.
• Deep expertise in PLL architecture and circuit design, including phase detectors or phase-frequency detectors, charge pumps where applicable, loop filters, oscillators, frequency dividers, and loop dynamics.
• Strong understanding of phase noise, integrated jitter, reference spurs, loop stability, supply-induced jitter, and the impact of clock quality on high-speed SerDes performance.
• Proven ability to define clocking architectures and translate stringent system-level jitter requirements into circuit-level specifications and implementation strategies.
• Experience with clock distribution design and the management of coupling, skew, power integrity, and electromagnetic interactions.
• Hands-on experience with electromagnetic simulation and extraction tools for analyzing high-frequency circuits and passive structures.
• Experience developing SystemVerilog-based behavioral models and verification environments for PLLs or other mixed-signal clocking systems.
• A strong track record of technical leadership, architectural decision-making, and successful silicon delivery.

• Direct experience developing clocking solutions for 100G+ per-lane SerDes.
• Experience with hybrid PLL architectures, digital PLLs, digitally assisted analog PLLs, or other advanced clock-generation techniques.
• Demonstrated expertise in resonant clock distribution, including resonant network design, energy recovery, clock power optimization, and associated implementation trade-offs.
• Experience managing interference among multiple high-performance PLLs operating within a shared die, including reference distribution, supply isolation, substrate coupling, and electromagnetic coupling.
• Proficiency with tools such as Cadence EMX, Ansys HFSS, or equivalent electromagnetic solvers.
• Experience with advanced-node physical implementation, custom layout, parasitic extraction, and silicon debug.
• Recognized technical contributions through successful silicon products, patents, publications, or industry-leading clocking innovations.