Semiconductor & Chip Design Engineer
Handshake • United States, Democratic Republic of Congo
Education
Master
Type
Hourly
Pay Rate
$120/hr
Listed
7d ago
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From the Handshake listing
Qualifications
Ideal candidates meet all three of the following:
Industry experience — 2+ years of hands-on chip design, semiconductor, or related engineering experience in industry
Degree — MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field. A BS in Electrical or Computer Engineering also qualifies when paired with strong industry experience
Chip and semiconductor expertise — demonstrated depth in one or more of the following areas:
Digital or analog IC design
VLSI and RTL design
Functional or formal verification
Physical design, place and route, and timing closure
EDA tools and semiconductor design flows
Semiconductor fabrication and process engineering
Design-for-test (DFT), synthesis, or implementation
Layout, design-rule checking, and tape-out
ASIC, SoC, FPGA, or related chip development
Additional Qualifications
These are not required but will strengthen your application:
Proficiency with industry-standard EDA and chip-design tools such as Cadence Virtuoso, Innovus, Synopsys Design Compiler, PrimeTime, VCS, Mentor/Siemens Calibre, ModelSim/Questa, Vivado, Quartus, or comparable tools
Experience with Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL, SPICE, or other hardware-description and circuit-simulation languages
Experience with synthesis, static timing analysis, place and route, physical verification, DRC/LVS, parasitic extraction, or other production semiconductor workflows
Experience with formal verification, UVM, simulation, coverage analysis, or other verification methodologies
Experience with semiconductor process technologies, foundry design rules, PDKs, yield analysis, or process integration
Experience at a semiconductor manufacturer, chip-design company, EDA company, engineering consultancy, or recognized employer such as Intel, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Apple, Arm, Synopsys, Cadence, or Siemens EDA
Required for All Applicants
Based in the United States
Strong written communication and attention to detail
Ability to explain complex semiconductor and chip-design concepts clearly
Ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment
Work authorization information
F-1 students who are eligible for CPT or OPT may be eligible for projects on Handshake AI. Work with your Designated School Official to determine your eligibility. If your school requires a CPT course, Handshake AI may not meet your school’s requirements. STEM OPT is not supported. See our Help Center article for more information on what types of work authorizations are supported on Handshake AI.
The application process
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Why this role
This Semiconductor & Chip Design Engineer role pays $120/hr like specialized consulting, minus the client overhead. You set the hours, and the assignments draw directly on your STEM background.
Talent pool
We're light on STEM candidates
We've matched 65 people with a STEM background against 726 STEM listings we've tracked, so most go out without one. Set up a profile and we'll consider you for a role like this one.
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Common questions
Can I use Handshake if I graduated years ago?
Probably not a good fit. Handshake's AI Fellowship roles target current university students and early talent within about 1-2 years of graduation. Experienced professionals typically find faster approval and better rates on Outlier or Mercor.
Is Handshake itself the employer for AI training roles?
For the AI Fellowship roles specifically, yes, Handshake acts as the employer of record. That's different from the rest of the site, which functions as a job board listing openings for other companies.
What does the day-to-day workload look like for elite-expert AI training roles?
Slow and deep, not fast and repetitive. A single task can take 45-60 minutes of researching citations or verifying complex calculations. Quality is what's being measured here, not throughput.
Is AI training work the same as traditional consulting?
No. Instead of client deliverables, you're given complex scenarios to evaluate: grading the AI's logic, correcting its hallucinations, and supplying expert-level reasoning it doesn't have on its own. The job is closer to teaching than consulting.
What does STEM work look like for a Semiconductor & Chip Design Engineer?
Tasks here are scoped to STEM, not generic labeling. As a Semiconductor & Chip Design Engineer, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to STEM) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on STEM background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
Coding and Expert are named directly in the listing. If you don't have hands-on experience with these, expect the screening process to test for them directly rather than accepting adjacent experience as a substitute.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $120/hr, an hourly rate. Pay can change between when we last checked the listing and when you apply, so confirm the current number on the platform's own application page before committing time.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Handshake's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.
Do I need a Master's to qualify?
This role lists a master's degree as a requirement. In practice, the domain assessment is the real gate. If you can pass it, the degree is usually secondary. However, some platforms verify credentials formally, so list your actual qualifications accurately on your profile.
Can I apply from outside the United States or Democratic Republic of Congo?
This specific role is open only to people based in the United States and Democratic Republic of Congo. If you are somewhere else, applying is unlikely to lead to an offer even if you pass the assessment, because the restriction is usually about where the work can legally be contracted rather than your skills. Read the full description for any tax-residency or right-to-work caveats before you apply, since they can differ by country.
Are Handshake AI training listings internships?
Some are, some aren't. Handshake lists both standard internships and separate "AI Trainer" fellowships. Check the job description for "1099" or "Contract" language: that signals a freelance role, not W-2 employment.