Analogue Mixed-Signal Tape-Out Recovery Leader — Implantable Devices

The mandate

The silicon engineering leader resigned after first samples showed stimulation artefacts coupling into sensing, reference drift after high-current pulses and wake-up states not represented in mixed-signal verification. Teams disagree whether layout, package, firmware timing or analogue architecture dominates, while the next tape-out slot is approaching. The interim leader must restore a defensible silicon-to-model learning loop without allowing the calendar to dictate an unproven medical-device revision.

Eleven months provide a fixed recovery window. The first six weeks preserve sample genealogy, reproduce failure corners and assign competing mechanisms. Months two through five close analogue, layout, package and control interactions and approve the revised verification plan. Months six through nine complete implementation and sign-off. The final two months cover silicon-readiness rehearsal, permanent-leader installation and handover of unresolved post-tape-out tests.

Handover is achieved when every critical anomaly has a reproduced mechanism or conservative disposition, mixed-signal verification covers power and stimulation sequences, and the tape-out baseline traces to system safety requirements. The successor must chair one design exception, approve extracted-view correlation and defend residual silicon risk to design assurance. Unverified behaviour cannot be converted into a post-silicon action without an owner and bounded clinical consequence.

The leader may stop sign-off, set design and verification priorities, approve schematic and layout changes inside authorised requirements, allocate foundry shuttle capacity and commit EUR 5 million within the recovery envelope. They chair tape-out readiness but do not hold sole product release authority. Therapy requirements, clinical risk acceptance, regulatory submissions, patient studies and major foundry agreements remain with designated product, medical and quality executives.

Excluded are redesigning the entire implant, changing therapy algorithms, acting as regulatory signatory, committing clinical claims or owning manufacturing transfer after the defined handoff. The mandate covers mixed-signal silicon evidence and a safe tape-out decision. Patent disputes and individual performance matters follow separate governance so technical authority cannot pre-judge them.

Why this seat is open

Implantable mixed-signal defects appear only when analogue physics, digital sequencing, layout parasitics, packaging and therapy timing meet. The departure left capable specialists but no executive able to stop tape-out or force a common hypothesis across boundaries. Temporary leadership is necessary to protect the next revision and leave a permanent owner with traceable evidence rather than inherited optimism.

What you will own

• Reconstruct silicon anomalies by sample, die location, package, board, firmware, stimulation pattern, temperature and measurement setup.
• Separate reference recovery, substrate coupling, supply droop, electrode artefact, clock feedthrough and instrumentation effects through controlled tests.
• Reconcile transistor-level, behavioural, extracted and system models against measured corners with stated mismatch limits.
• Govern mixed-signal verification across power sequencing, reset, wake-up, stimulation, sensing saturation, fault and recovery states.
• Direct layout changes for isolation, matching, return paths, shielding and sensitive-node protection using extracted evidence.
• Chair design exceptions and tape-out readiness with requirement trace, sign-off status, residual risk and post-silicon observability.
• Transfer mechanism records, verification assets, foundry assumptions, open tests and successor-led readiness decisions.

Candidate qualifications

• Led analogue mixed-signal ASIC recovery or tape-out for implantable, diagnostic or other safety-relevant low-power devices.
• Can evidence a silicon defect whose source required joint circuit, layout, package and firmware-timing investigation.
• Understands references, data converters, stimulation or drivers, low-noise sensing, power management and mixed-signal verification.
• Has stopped or re-sequenced tape-out when schedule pressure exceeded evidence readiness.
• Worked within medical design assurance while respecting clinical, quality and regulatory decision boundaries.
• Developed a successor able to challenge both analogue experts and system leaders using correlated silicon evidence.

Non-negotiables

• Will lead onsite in Dublin and attend all Cork and Leuven design and foundry reviews.
• Has personally chaired production-intent mixed-signal tape-out after significant first-silicon anomalies.
• Accepts no authority over clinical claims, therapy requirements, regulatory sign-off or patient-study decisions.
• Will disclose foundry, IP, EDA, medical-device and design-services relationships before appointment.

1. 49 words maximum. Which silicon anomaly most resisted separation among circuit, layout, package and firmware causes?
2. 49 words maximum. What evidence would make you miss an available tape-out slot for an implantable device?
3. 49 words maximum. What must the successor defend before inheriting mixed-signal sign-off authority?