Full-Time
Senior ASIC Design Engineer
Analog and RF ASIC Design
Posted on 7/18/2025
Fermilab
1,001-5,000 employees
World-leading particle physics research facility
Compensation Overview
$122.1k - $173.6k/yr
Company Does Not Provide H1B Sponsorship
Batavia, IL, USA
Hybrid
Hybrid work arrangement requires working at the primary worksite on some days and at an alternative worksite in the United States on other days.
US Top Secret Clearance Required
 Electrical Engineering (1) |
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- PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering or Physics with background in solid state circuits and integrated circuit design.
- 1+ years (PhD) or 4+ years (MS) post-degree professional experience demonstrating past involvement in development of mixed analog-digital designs.
- Experience with industry-standard front-end and back-end CAD/EDA design tools, such as Cadence, Synopsys and Mentor for the IC design.
- Familiarity with principles of instrumentation for radiation detection with solid state or gaseous detectors and usages in extreme environments, like cryogenic or radiation harsh conditions.
- Strong computer skills and competence in performing analytical engineering calculations, in drawing schematics and in documentation.
- Performing a leading role in Analog and RF ASIC design projects, while being able to contribute individually to major design tasks.
- Developing design specifications for ASICs based on theoretical analyses and in conjunction with application needs.
- Designing circuit networks using schematic entry and layout tools with full custom or timing-driven layout tools in Cadence CAD/EDA or a similar environment.
- Models circuit networks and system components in hardware-description languages (Verilog-A and Verilog/SystemVerilog).
- Building test benches and carries out analog and/or RF circuit simulations.
- Executing physical and functional circuit and system verification.
- Preparing documentation and participates in test-board designs and laboratory testing.
- Delivering presentations internally, at national and international workshops, and at the topical conferences.
- Performing other duties as assigned by supervisor.
- Abiding by and being responsible for performing all duties in accordance with all environmental, health and safety regulations and practices pertinent to this position.
Fermilab is a U.S. laboratory that conducts particle physics and accelerator research. It builds and operates the world’s most advanced particle accelerators and experiments to study the smallest building blocks of matter and to explore the universe, including dark matter and dark energy. Its work blends fundamental science with technology development that benefits U.S. industry. Fermilab collaborates with scientists from more than 20 countries on projects based in the U.S. and abroad, employing scientists and engineers who run experiments, develop instrumentation, and advance computing and accelerator technologies. The lab’s goal is to deepen our understanding of the universe while creating technologies and knowledge that support education, environmental stewardship, and economic competitiveness.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$260M
Headquarters
Batavia, Illinois
Founded
1967
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Norbert Holtkamp's January 2026 appointment accelerates LBNF-DUNE via LCLS-II expertise.
- PIP-II's global supply chain optimizes costs and mitigates production risks.
- $3.2M DOE funding with Argonne advances nuclear transmutation accelerators.
What critics are saying
- Quandarum diverts $71M and personnel from PIP-II, delaying upgrades in 12 months.
- Diraq captures IP in quantum sensing, sidelining Fermilab commercially in 18 months.
- Holtkamp's X-ray focus stalls UK-France cryomodule deliveries in 12 months.
What makes Fermilab unique
- Fermilab pioneers HB650 and LB650 cryomodules at 650 MHz for PIP-II linac.
- PIP-II integrates international cryomodule production from UK, France, Italy, India.
- IARC develops compact electron beam accelerators destroying PFAS in water.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Paid Vacation
Life Insurance
Short and Long-term Disability Insurance
Retirement benefits
Hybrid Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -3%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↓ -3%American Physical Society recognizes Fermilab scientists. The American Physical Society has honored researchers at Fermilab for their outstanding contributions to physics. These recognitions include major APS prizes and fellowships, underscoring the laboratory's leadership in advancing scientific discovery. The American Physical Society recently honored six researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory with awards for their outstanding contributions to their scientific fields. Founded in 1899, APS is a professional organization representing more than 50,000 members worldwide and is dedicated to advancing physics research, science policy, education and public engagement. Each year, APS bestows a broad range of prizes, awards and medals to recognize exceptional achievements across the physics community - from early-career scientists to leading established researchers. APS honors at Fermilab were awarded to: Joel Butler - W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics. Joel Butler, a distinguished scientist at Fermilab and former spokesperson for the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, has received the American Physical Society's 2026 Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics. The Panofsky Prize, awarded annually, recognizes and encourages outstanding achievements in experimental particle physics, and nominations are open to scientists worldwide. According to APS, Butler received the prize for wide-ranging scientific, technical and strategic contributions to particle physics; exceptional leadership in fixed-target quark-flavor experiments at Fermilab; and his contributions to collider physics at the Large Hadron Collider. Elena Pinetti - Henry Primakoff Award for Early-Career Particle Physics. Elena Pinetti, a postdoctoral researcher at Fermilab, has received the APS 2026 Henry Primakoff Award for Early-Career Particle Physics for "original ideas and innovative research in the study of particle dark matter, compact astrophysical objects, high-energy astrophysical sources and cosmic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum." Pinetti's research focuses on searching for dark matter in the universe using a multimessenger approach. APS Fellows. Four Fermilab scientists were named 2025 APS Fellows. Fellowship is an elite distinction awarded each year to no more than one-half of 1% of current APS members. The APS Fellowship program recognizes members who have made advances in physics through original research and publication or made significant, innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology. The full listing of fellows may be viewed on the APS website. Anadi canepa - division of particles and fields Fellowship. "For pioneering roles in searches for supersymmetric particles; for outstanding leadership at TRIUMF and Fermilab and on the CDF, ATLAS and CMS collaborations, including the CMS tracker upgrade for the High-Luminosity LHC and future collider opportunities; and for broad public engagement." Victor daniel elvira - forum on international physics Fellowship. "For work on understanding and using jet final states, exploring quantum chromodynamics and physics beyond the Standard Model; for software processes - especially in GEANT4 and AI and machine learning - that aids global high-energy physics research; and for fostering international software and computing collaborations ..." Matthew toups - division of particles and fields Fellowship. "For wide-ranging and significant contributions to the MicroBooNE experiment, from construction and commissioning of the detector through to the publication of a large body of first-of-their-kind neutrino physics results with liquid-argon time projection chambers." Herman white - forum on physics and Society Fellowship. "For inspiring leadership and advocacy for physics, science education and communication with policy makers, governments and the public; and for outstanding contributions to several areas of high-energy physics." Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is America's premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. Fermi Forward Discovery Group manages Fermilab for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Visit Fermilab's website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on social media.
Dark Energy Survey scientists release new analysis of how the universe expands. For the Dark Energy Survey, Fermilab built an extremely sensiHve 570-Megapixel digital camera, DECam, and installed it on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at NSF's Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Chilean Andes. Credit: Reidar Hahn, Fermilab The Dark Energy Survey (DES) combines six years of weak lensing and galaxy clustering data - and unites four dark energy probes from a single experiment for the first time - delivering new, tighter constraints that narrow down the possible models for how the universe behaves. The Dark Energy Survey (DES) collaboration is releasing new result that, for the first time, combine all six years of data from two key cosmological techniques: weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering. The analysis summarizes 18 supporting papers and also presents DES's first combined results from four independent "dark energy probes": baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), type-Ia supernovae, galaxy clusters, and weak lensing - an objective set at the project's inception 25 years ago. The analysis tightens constraints on how the universe behaves and narrows down which cosmological models remain viable. The new constraints are more than twice as strong as those from previous DES analyses, while remaining consistent with earlier results. "What we are finding is that both the standard model and evolving dark energy model fit the early and late universe observations well, but not perfectly," says Judit Prat, co-lead of the DES weak lensing working group and Nordita Fellow at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (Nordita), hosted by Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. This is DES's first combined measurement using four major techniques designed to constrain dark energy: baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), type-Ia supernovae, galaxy clusters, and weak gravitational lensing - an approach envisioned when the survey began 25 years ago. "DES really showcases how we can use multiple different measurements from the same sky images. I think that's very powerful," says Martin Crocce, research associate professor at the Institute for Space Science in Barcelona and co-coordinator of the analysis. "There's something very exciting about pulling the different cosmological probes together," says Chihway Chang, associate professor at the University of Chicago and co-chair of the DES science committee. DES collected observations from 2013 to 2019 using the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope in Chile. Over 758 nights, the survey recorded information from 669 million galaxies, covering one-eighth of the sky. A major part of the final analysis centers on improved calibration and methodology for weak lensing - tracking how galaxy images are subtly distorted by gravity to reconstruct the universe's matter distribution over billions of years. "One of the most exciting parts of the final DES analysis is the advancement in calibrating the data," says Alexandra Amon, co-lead of the DES weak lensing working group and assistant professor of astrophysics at Princeton University. DES tested two models: the standard ΛCDM model, where dark energy is constant, and an extended wCDM model, where dark energy can evolve over time. The data mostly align with ΛCDM, and while wCDM can also fit, it does not fit significantly better than the standard model. However, one key parameter tied to how matter clusters remain offset from what early-universe measurements predict. With the full dataset included, the gap grows - but not enough to definitively rule out the standard model, and it persists even when DES data is combined with other experiments. The researchers say the next step is to test alternative explanations, including extended dark energy models where w itself is allowed to vary in time and different theories of gravity. The results are also positioned as a major stepping stone toward upcoming next-generation surveys such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). "The measurements will get tighter and tighter in only a few years," says Anna Porredon, co-lead of the DES Large Scale Structure working group and senior fellow at CIEMAT in Madrid. "It's exciting that we will probably have some of the answers about dark energy in the next 10 years," Porredon adds. Dark Energy Survey website: https://www.darkenergysurvey.org/ DES is an international project with over 400 scientists from 35 institutions in 7 countries, who have come together to carry out the survey. Its team of scientists comprises university faculty and researchers, laboratory and observatory staff scientists, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students. The support staff are also a critical part of the team: they make it possible for its scientists to travel to Chile to observe for the survey and to travel to conferences and collaboration meetings to discuss the latest results. Judit Prat carried out this work while a Nordita Fellow. She has recently taken up a position at the University of Copenhagen, DARK (Niels Bohr Institute).
Norbert Holtkamp appointed director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Norbert Holtkamp Norbert Holtkamp has been appointed as the new director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, effective Jan. 12, 2026. Holtkamp brings deep scientific and operational expertise to Fermilab, which is the premier particle physics and accelerator laboratory in the U.S. He is the former deputy director of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University and currently serves as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, advocating for robust international scientific collaboration. He is also currently a professor of particle physics and astrophysics and of photon science at SLAC and Stanford. University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos made the announcement Dec. 15 in his capacity as chair of the board of directors of Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC, which operates the laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy and whose partners include the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association. "We're excited to welcome Norbert, who brings of a wealth of scientific and managerial experience to Fermilab," Alivisatos said. "He will champion Fermilab's mission of pioneering scientific discovery, help ensure the success of projects critical to the lab's future, strengthen the relationships necessary for shared achievements and inspire the next generation of researchers." Holtkamp has managed large scientific projects throughout his career - experience that will be critical as Fermilab continues to advance the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility-Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (LBNF-DUNE) among other ambitious projects. During his tenure at SLAC, he managed the construction of the Linac Coherent Light Source upgrade (LCLS-II), the world's most powerful X-ray laser, along with more than $2 billion of on-site construction projects. He previously served as the principal deputy director general for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a multinational organization working to achieve fusion power at power plant scale. Holtkamp is deeply familiar with Fermilab, having worked there from 1998 to 2001. During that time, he participated in the commissioning of the Main Injector - the lab's most powerful particle accelerator - and also led a multi-laboratory study on the feasibility of an intense neutrino source based on a muon storage ring. In his new role, Holtkamp will continue Fermilab's work to modernize its operations and infrastructure to leverage the capabilities of LBNF-DUNE - the largest experiment in lab history - and other major projects. "I am deeply honored to have been selected as the next director of Fermilab," Holtkamp said. "Fermilab has done so much to advance our collective understanding of the fundamentals of our universe. I am committed to ensuring the laboratory remains the neutrino capital of America, and the world, and the safe and successful completion of LBNF-DUNE is key to that goal. I'm excited to rejoin Fermilab at this pivotal moment to guide this project and our other important modernization efforts to prepare the lab for a bright future." Holtkamp holds the equivalent of a master's degree in physics from the University of Berlin and a Ph.D. in physics from the Technical University in Darmstadt, Germany. Holtkamp's appointment follows an extensive search by a panel of distinguished scientific and organizational experts. The search committee, which included prominent leaders from the laboratory's critical stakeholders, was chaired by Argonne National Laboratory Director Paul Kearns and Vice-Chair CERN Director-General Designate Mark Thomson. Holtkamp succeeds UChicago Prof. Young-Kee Kim, who has served as interim director since January 2025. Alivisatos expressed his gratitude for Kim's "tireless service" as director. "We asked Young-Kee to lead the laboratory for one year, and she immediately devoted her talent, leadership and boundless enthusiasm to aid the lab during a time of transition," Alivisatos said. "Young-Kee played a critical role in strengthening relationships with Fermilab's leading stakeholders, driving the lab's modernization efforts, and positioning Fermilab to amplify DOE's broader goals in areas like quantum science and AI." A 6,800-acre facility headquartered in Batavia, Ill., Fermilab aims to shed new light on the understanding of the universe - from the smallest building blocks of matter to the deepest secrets of dark matter and dark energy. Visit Fermilab's website at www.fnal.gov to learn more. Get more with UChicago News delivered to your inbox.
Fermilab teams up with Proficio to develop water treatment system targeting PFAS. Fermilab and a Chicagoland firm Proficio Consultancy are teaming up to develop a specialized water treatment system that uses beams of electrons to destroy harmful chemicals in water. The effort to clean up persistent contaminants in water is gaining momentum through a new partnership between Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Proficio Consultancy, an engineering and fabrication firm based in Lisle, Illinois. Together, they are developing a water treatment system tailored for use with electron beam accelerators. "This partnership highlights how we can combine cutting-edge national lab research with local small business ingenuity to tackle some of our most pressing problems," said Chris Edwards, engineering project manager at Fermilab. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances - commonly known as PFAS or forever chemicals - are used in a multitude of industrial and consumer products and often end up in the environment. These chemicals, which are difficult to destroy due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, may have harmful effects on human health, so it is critical to remove them from water supplies. Electron beam technology offers a promising solution. Experts at Fermilab's Illinois Accelerator Research Center - also called IARC - are developing a compact superconducting accelerator that generates electrons capable of destroying PFAS. Prior research at IARC has proven that electron beams can effectively break the carbon-fluoride bonds and render the resulting chemicals harmless, unlike most conventional water treatment methods, which produce secondary waste streams. Maximizing PFAS breakdown in water requires carefully controlled treatment conditions. Proficio Consultancy will work closely with IARC to design and develop a specialized water treatment skid system that will ready PFAS-laden water for efficient electron beam irradiation, a process that safely uses radiation to break down unwanted chemicals. After treatment, the water treatment system will condition the water, ensuring it is safe to use or ready for further processing. "This pre-treatment and conditioning system is critical to unlocking the full potential of our electron beam accelerator for environmental cleanup applications," said Edwards. The initial design will ensure the system integrates with Fermilab's compact accelerator, allowing the continuous flow and irradiation of PFAS-laden water. In the future, the design can be scaled into a full-sized, field-deployable accelerator capable of treating large volumes of contaminated water. The compact, modular skid will contain advanced instrumentation, including a control system that regulates water flow and monitors temperature, pH and oxygen levels, along with special pipes. Its flexibility to operate under a wide range of conditions - such as feed rate, batch size, pH level and nitrogen flow rate - will enable it to be optimized for a variety of water treatment applications and scaled up in the future. "With decades of multi-disciplinary engineering experience, Proficio Consultancy is uniquely positioned to complete cradle-to-grave projects such as this PFAS water treatment skid system," said Eddie Jaramillo, president and chief executive officer at Proficio Consultancy. "We are excited to work with Fermilab on this project." IARC's mission to help industry adopt Fermilab-developed technologies is paving the way for scalable, cost-effective solutions to PFAS contamination. Partnerships between national laboratories and local small businesses strengthen regional innovation ecosystems and support the U.S. Department of Energy's goals for technology transfer and commercialization.
Former Intel CEO's XLight receives Trump administration backing for advanced free-electron laser technology. Trump administration backs XLight's advanced semiconductor laser development. * Trump administration agrees to invest $150 million in XLight, acquiring an equity stake in the startup. * XLight develops advanced free-electron lasers for EUV lithography, aiming to improve semiconductor manufacturing efficiency. * The CHIPS Act funding signals US priority on domestic next-generation lithography and semiconductor innovation. * XLight's collaboration with national labs and suppliers positions it for critical technology scaling and partnerships. The Trump administration has announced plans to inject up to US$150 million into XLight, a semiconductor startup led by former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal citing the US Commerce Department. As part of this agreement, the government will take an equity stake in the company, marking a significant commitment to supporting domestic semiconductor innovation. While specific terms and the timeline for the investment have not been publicly disclosed, the announcement underscores the administration's ongoing focus on advancing critical technologies in the semiconductor sector. XLight targets next-generation EUV lithography. XLight is developing particle-accelerator-driven free-electron lasers (FELs) designed for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. These devices generate tunable light beams that can replace the laser-produced plasma sources currently used in ASML's EUV scanners, though the company does not aim to replace the scanners themselves. Pat Gelsinger, XLight's CEO, explained that these energy-efficient lasers could achieve tenfold improvements over existing technology. "Building an energy-efficient EUV laser with tenfold improvements over today's technology will drive the next era of Moore's Law, accelerating fab productivity while establishing a vital domestic capability," Gelsinger said. The first FEL system is currently under development at the Albany Nanotech Complex, a hub for semiconductor research and development, in collaboration with six Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. CHIPS Act Incentives signal national priority. The $150 million funding is structured as a Letter of Intent, a preliminary and nonbinding agreement issued through the Trump administration's Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Research and Development Office. This initial investment highlights the US government's strategic focus on fostering domestic capabilities in next-generation lithography and semiconductor manufacturing. Separately, XLight recently closed a $40 million Series B funding round led by Playground Global, a venture capital firm. The combination of private investment and federal support positions XLight to accelerate its development pipeline and scale production of advanced FEL systems. Opportunities for suppliers and partners. As XLight moves toward production, suppliers and industry partners have opportunities to engage with the company. Targeted components include superconducting radio-frequency (RF) cavities and cryomodules, which are vacuum-insulated cryogenic housings for critical accelerator elements. XLight has collaborated with Fermilab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) to develop these components, signaling its commitment to high-quality, domestically sourced technology. Industry observers note that government backing not only de-risks XLight's operations but also signals broader US priorities in maintaining semiconductor leadership. Accelerator suppliers, EUV tool developers, and investors will be watching closely as the startup advances its FEL technology toward commercial deployment. Looking ahead. XLight's partnership with the Trump administration represents a convergence of private innovation and public investment in next-generation semiconductor tools. If successful, the startup's FEL technology could significantly enhance EUV lithography, boosting fabrication efficiency while reinforcing domestic manufacturing capabilities. The broader semiconductor industry will likely monitor this development as a key indicator of the US government's long-term commitment to sustaining global competitiveness in chip technology. Newton Kitonga is a lawyer and crypto enthusiast. He has over five years of experience analyzing derivative markets, FinTech, research, and Decentralized Finance.