Director - Analog IC Design

Our Team At Semtech, our Bristol Engineering team is at the forefront of analog and mixed‑signal semiconductor design for optical communications. We are a recognised leader in laser driver, transimpedance amplifier (TIA), and integrated transceiver ICs — the components that power fibre‑to‑the‑home (FTTH) networks and hyperscale datacentre interconnects worldwide.

Location: Bristol or Stansted Hybrid: (Office: Mon – Thurs)

Job Summary We are looking for an experienced and driven Analog Design Director to lead IC Design Engineering at our Bristol office, with accountability extending to partner sites across Europe and North America. Reporting to the VP of Design Engineering, you will own complex new product development programmes across the full NPI lifecycle — from initial concept through to production release — while managing and developing a high‑performing team of engineers, team leaders, and managers. This is a high‑impact leadership role that combines hands‑on technical authority with strategic influence. You will contribute directly to technology roadmaps, represent engineering in business planning, and act as a key partner to other Directors and the VP of Design Engineering in shaping how the function evolves.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage IC Design Engineering for the Bristol office and European and North American partner locations, directing multifunctional NPI teams spanning definition, design, layout, validation, product engineering, test engineering, characterisation, and reliability. Drive programmes from initial concept to full production release, managing schedules and budgets in compliance with ISO‑governed NPI flows. (40%)
• Provide direct and indirect management of engineers, team leaders, and managers. Mentor and develop both people leaders and individual contributors, building engagement, retention, and succession plans aligned to short‑ and long‑term business objectives. (25%)
• Contribute directly to technical strategy and technology roadmaps, working collaboratively with peers, other Directors, and the VP of Design Engineering to define and execute the engineering vision. Represent engineering needs in budget and annual business planning, providing recommendations on headcount, organisational structure, and tooling. (20%)
• Drive specification, resource identification, and equipment and tooling requirements for successful NPI execution. Monitor team bandwidth and implement workload management strategies including work redistribution, headcount recommendations, and team restructuring as required. (10%)
• Support corporate and business unit standards compliance, including ISO and EHS requirements, and cascade overarching vision and strategy to ensure business unit goal alignment across the team. (5%)

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in semiconductor engineering, with significant experience in engineering management and project leadership.
• Proven track record of leading products from initial concept to full production release with demonstrated market success and contribution margin.
• Experience developing product families to maximise market coverage from an optimal level of design investment.
• Detailed knowledge and experience in markets requiring signal integrity expertise.
• Excellent collaboration, influencing, team‑building, and cross‑functional leadership skills.
• Clear and confident written and verbal communicator across both technical and business audiences.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in optical communications IC design, including laser drivers, TIAs, or integrated transceiver products.
• Familiarity with FTTH and/or datacentre interconnect market dynamics and customer requirements.
• Experience managing engineering teams across multiple geographies and time zones.
• Demonstrated ability to build and execute succession planning frameworks within engineering organisations.
• Experience operating within a publicly listed multinational technology company environment.

Why Join Us?

• Lead a world‑class analog design team working on products shipped at high volume into the networks connecting the world.
• Work at the intersection of deep technical excellence and senior business leadership — with real influence over strategy and direction.
• Be part of a global organisation that is big enough to offer international scope, yet agile enough for every individual to make a genuine impact.
• Collaborate with a diverse, high‑performing team across Bristol and international partner sites.
• Access a competitive compensation package underpinned by Semtech’s pay‑for‑performance philosophy.

Career Growth Philosophy At Semtech, we seek innovation and leadership from every member of our team. We invest in our people with the support, resources, and opportunity to excel — and we recognise and reward those who drive results. This role offers a genuine platform to grow your leadership footprint, deepen your technical authority, and shape the next chapter of Semtech’s Bristol engineering story.

Additional Notes The intent of this job description is to describe the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Incumbents may be required to perform additional job‑related tasks as needed. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and may be adjusted to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.