_{18th March, 2026}

Principal Digital IC Design Engineer
Location: Fareham, Hampshire (Hybrid Working Available)
Salary: £87,000 + bonus
Contract: Permanent
Visa Sponsorship is available

We’re recruiting for a Principal Digital IC Design Engineer on behalf of a high-growth semiconductor organisation operating at the forefront of advanced electronics. This is a senior individual contributor role, ideal for a recognised technical expert who wants to drive digital IC innovation while influencing architecture, methodology and best practice across complex ASIC and MCU developments.

You’ll play a key role in shaping next-generation digital designs used in safety-critical and high-performance applications, working across multidisciplinary and global engineering teams.

The Role
This position focuses on technical leadership across digital IC development, from architecture definition through to silicon validation.

As a Principal Engineer, you’ll provide deep technical expertise, guide design decisions, and act as a key contributor to complex projects, while mentoring engineers and influencing engineering standards across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and influence digital architecture based on system and product requirements
• Lead complex digital design, implementation, verification and validation activities
• Drive performance, power and area optimisation across ASIC and MCU designs
• Act as a technical authority for digital IC design methodologies and best practices
• Contribute to and review RTL design, verification strategies and sign-off processes
• Support IP development, integration and evaluation of third-party IP
• Collaborate closely with analogue, software, systems and backend teams globally
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to engineers across the team
• Support silicon bring-up, debug, validation and failure analysis
• Contribute to EDA tool evaluation and continuous improvement of design flows

Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Essential:

• Degree-qualified (BEng/MEng) in Electronics, Engineering or related discipline
• Significant experience in digital or mixed-signal IC design (ASIC preferred)
• Strong expertise across the full digital IC design lifecycle (specification to silicon)
• Proven track record of delivering complex digital ICs or subsystems
• Deep understanding of RTL design, verification methodologies and timing closure
• Experience with low-power design techniques and optimisation
• Strong knowledge of EDA tools and digital design flows
• Experience in silicon debug and validation
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to influence technical decisions

Desirable:

• Exposure to mixed-signal environments
• Familiarity with full ASIC front-end and back-end flows
• Knowledge of IP integration and lifecycle management
• Scripting/automation experience (e.g. Python)
• Experience with tools such as JIRA and Confluence

Why Apply?

• Salary of £87,000 plus annual bonus
• Flexible hybrid working (typically 3 days on-site in Fareham)
• Senior technical role with significant influence on product architecture
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge semiconductor technologies
• Collaborative, innovation-driven engineering environment
• Strong benefits package including pension, private medical and dental cover
• Clear progression path within a growing semiconductor organisation
• Visa Sponsorship available

For more information or to apply, contact:
Lewis Phillips
01582 369359
lphillips@versorecruitment.com

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