AMS Validation Manager
We are seeking an experienced, hands-on manager to lead the AMS Silicon Validation team in San Diego. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for building a high-performing engineering team that delivers robust silicon validation while developing technical talent, expanding engineering capability, and fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and collaboration.
Description
The successful candidate will be a strong technical leader who remains actively engaged in silicon validation, bring-up, characterization, debug, and engineering execution. In addition to leading the local team, this individual will partner closely with validation leaders across multiple sites to execute both complex and foundational AMS IP validation programs as one integrated validation organization. Success in this role requires developing a technically balanced team that can independently own assigned IPs while effectively contributing to programs led by other sites, embracing shared ownership, engineering rigor, and collective delivery of program objectives.
The successful candidate will build a team recognized not only for technical excellence, but also as trusted engineering partners who collaborate effectively across organizations, share technical expertise, and provide scalable engineering support to deliver industry-leading semiconductor products.
Responsibilities:
- Lead and develop the San Diego AMS Silicon Validation team by building a high-performing engineering organization through technical leadership, coaching, mentoring, talent development, and recruitment.
- Remain hands-on in silicon validation by personally contributing to validation planning, silicon bring-up, characterization, complex debug, stress-to-fail methodologies, root-cause analysis, failure analysis, and validation execution for advanced mixed-signal IPs.
- Lead validation execution from first silicon through production readiness, ensuring high-quality technical execution, timely issue resolution, and continuous improvement across multiple product generations.
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- Partner closely with Design, Architecture, RTL, Verification, and validation teams across multiple sites to successfully deliver complex silicon programs on aggressive schedules.
- Build a collaborative engineering culture where engineers across multiple sites operate as one integrated validation organization, openly sharing knowledge, leveraging one another's expertise, and jointly delivering program success.
- Develop a technically balanced validation team capable of independently owning assigned AMS IPs, from foundational analog IPs to complex high-speed subsystem validations, while collaborating seamlessly with other sites on larger multi-site programs.
- Foster a culture where technical decisions are driven by engineering expertise, program priorities, and shared accountability rather than organizational boundaries, enabling engineers to both lead and contribute across multiple validation programs.
- Collaborate with validation leadership to distribute technical ownership and engineering capacity across sites, enabling balanced workload, scalable execution, and effective cross-site support throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Build strong working relationships with cross-site validation leaders, proactively aligning technical ownership, execution responsibilities, priorities, and engineering resources to maximize organizational effectiveness.
- Establish resilient cross-site execution models that provide timely engineering support during critical silicon milestones, including periods requiring continuous validation coverage.
- Drive continuous improvement in validation methodologies, laboratory infrastructure, automation, AI-assisted validation, robotic test systems, data analytics, and engineering productivity.
- Manage multiple concurrent silicon programs by balancing technical execution, engineering priorities, resource planning, schedules, risks, and delivery commitments.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience validating advanced mixed-signal or high-speed interfaces, such as, SerDes, PCIe, UCIe, PLL, Ethernet, or similar semiconductor technologies.
Strong understanding of analog and mixed-signal circuit operation, high-speed measurements, signal integrity, jitter analysis, equalization, and advanced silicon validation methodologies.
Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills with experience working effectively across geographically distributed engineering organizations.
Demonstrated ability to remain technically engaged while balancing engineering execution, people leadership, and program delivery.
Experience with validation automation, Python-based validation frameworks, AI-assisted validation workflows, robotic test systems, machine learning, and data analytics applied to silicon validation.
Demonstrated success leading engineering teams within a matrixed organization, including the ability to influence without direct authority, establish trust across organizations, and build collaborative partnerships across geographically distributed teams.
Experience expanding engineering capability by developing teams that successfully own both foundational IP validation and highly complex subsystem validation.
Proven track record of recruiting, developing, mentoring, and retaining high-caliber engineering talent.
Experience building collaborative engineering organizations where technical leadership, ownership, and execution are aligned to maximize overall program success rather than organizational boundaries.
Demonstrated success driving engineering excellence, organizational capability growth, continuous improvement, and engineering innovation in a fast-paced semiconductor development environment.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor or Master degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
12+ years of experience in silicon validation, mixed-signal design, analog design, or related semiconductor engineering.
3+ years of technical leadership or engineering management experience leading validation or mixed-signal engineering teams.
Strong hands-on experience in silicon bring-up, characterization, validation planning, complex debug, failure analysis, and validation of advanced mixed-signal or high-speed interface IPs.
Proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop engineers while building high-performing technical teams.
Pay & Benefits
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $225,600 and $338,400, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.
Perks and Benefits
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