Founding IC Design Engineer – UHF RFID Tag Chip

Overview

Lead the design and development of next-generation UHF RFID tag chips from architecture to tape-out. Single-person ownership role with direct founder collaboration.

About NEXTWAVES

Nextwaves Industries is a fast-moving, founder-led startup dedicated to redefining RFID technology. We design and manufacture our RFID inlays and chips entirely in-house, giving us complete control over performance, quality, and innovation.

We are building the next generation of UHF RFID tag chips that combine ultra-low power consumption with high performance, optimized for IoT, logistics, retail, and industrial asset tracking. This chip will be conceived, designed, verified, and prepared for production entirely in Vietnam and deployed to customers worldwide.

Why This Role is Unique

This is a single-person ownership role. You will be the lead and primary designer for our UHF RFID tag IC, responsible for every step from architecture to tape-out. You will work directly with the founders and collaborate closely with RF, firmware, and product teams. Decisions will be made quickly, prototypes will move fast, and you will have the satisfaction of seeing your chip deployed globally in high volumes.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the complete architecture of the UHF RFID tag IC including RF front-end, power harvesting, clock generation, digital baseband, memory, and backscatter modulation control.
• Design low-power analog and RF circuits such as rectifiers, voltage regulators, oscillators, envelope detectors, impedance matching networks, and power management systems.
• Implement the digital baseband for EPC Gen2 and ISO/IEC 18000-6C protocol handling including command decoding, state machines, anti-collision algorithms, framing, encoding, decoding, and error handling.
• Integrate embedded non-volatile memory for EPC storage, access passwords, and user data with both digital read/write and analog sensing.
• Optimize mixed-signal integration to ensure ultra-low power consumption, high sensitivity, and robust performance across temperature, voltage, and process variations.
• Perform pre-silicon verification through simulation, co-simulation, and formal verification for analog, digital, and mixed-signal domains.
• Prepare complete EDA deliverables for tape-out including layout, parasitic extraction, LVS and DRC checks, GDSII, and mask data.
• Lead post-silicon bring-up including wafer probing, RF sensitivity measurements, and debugging of first silicon.
• Work with manufacturing partners to ensure the design is optimized for yield, cost, and reliability.
• Document design specifications, verification reports, and test results to meet internal quality and certification requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, or a related field. A Master's or Ph.D. is preferred for this ownership-level role.
• Minimum five years of integrated circuit design experience with at least one full chip taken from concept to tape-out.
• In-depth understanding of UHF RFID protocols including EPC Gen2 and ISO/IEC 18000-6C.
• Expertise in low-power CMOS analog design including RF rectification, voltage regulation, oscillator design, and power management for energy-harvesting systems.
• Strong skills in digital hardware design for communication protocols including finite state machines, encoders, decoders, and error detection.
• Proven mixed-signal integration experience ensuring signal integrity and noise isolation between analog and digital domains.
• Proficiency with industry-standard EDA tools.
• Experience with embedded non-volatile memory integration.
• Familiarity with RF and mixed-signal test equipment such as network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and high-speed oscilloscopes.
• Strong documentation skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience designing RFID ICs or reader chips.
• Familiarity with lithography processes including DUV or maskless techniques.
• Knowledge of electromagnetic simulation tools for antenna and impedance matching co-design.
• Hands-on experience with wafer-level testing and production ramp-up.

What We Offer

• • Competitive salary with performance-based bonus (we can definitely match your requirements).
• • Equity options so you share in the value you create.
• • Relocation and visa sponsorship for candidates from any country.
• • Tax-free income for eligible foreign experts under Vietnamese law (Law No. 71/2025/QH15).
• • Comprehensive health coverage.
• • Direct collaboration with founders where your decisions have immediate impact on the final product.
• • The satisfaction of designing a chip from the ground up and seeing it manufactured and deployed worldwide.

📋 Hiring Process