Chip Design Engineer - Semiconductor (Canada)
Listing checked September 18, 2026 · pay as published by Handshake AI
Overview
Handshake AI seeks seasoned chip design engineers to contribute to AI research through part-time, project-based contract work. You will bring your industry background in chip design, EDA, or VLSI to evaluate AI-generated technical content and help models reason like a practicing engineer. The role centers on creating realistic engineering problems, reviewing AI responses for accuracy and feasibility, and delivering structured written feedback. You set your own hours with no minimum requirement, and this ongoing opportunity fits alongside a current engineering position.
What You'll Do5
- 1Craft expert-level engineering problems and scenarios that mirror real chip design, verification, and tape-out workflows.
- 2Assess AI-generated answers for technical correctness, practical viability, and consistency with actual industry practices.
- 3Deliver written feedback in a structured format to help improve AI model performance.
- 4Complete tasks on your own schedule with no mandatory hours.
- 5Draw on your hands-on experience to identify gaps or errors in AI reasoning about semiconductor topics.
Requirements5
- 1MS or PhD in Electrical, Electronics, or Computer Engineering. A BS in EE or ECE qualifies with strong industry experience.
- 25+ years of hands-on chip design or semiconductor work in industry. 15-20 years is ideal.
- 3Depth in at least one area: VLSI design, digital or analog chip design, EDA tooling, semiconductor fabrication, or formal verification.
- 4Proficiency with tools such as Cadence Virtuoso or Innovus, Synopsys Design Compiler, Mentor Calibre, Verilog, SystemVerilog, ModelSim, Vivado, or Quartus is a strong plus.
- 5Strong written communication, attention to detail, and ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous setting.
Who Should Apply
The ideal candidate holds an MS or PhD in electrical or computer engineering, or a BS with extensive industry experience, and brings 5+ years of hands-on chip design or semiconductor work. Depth in VLSI, EDA tooling, or formal verification matters more than broad familiarity. This role suits engineers who can explain complex technical tradeoffs in clear writing and who want flexible, project-based work alongside a full-time job. This role is less suitable for recent graduates without industry experience or for engineers who have not worked directly on chip design, verification, or fabrication. Candidates often lose points when they list fewer than five years of relevant experience or cannot demonstrate depth in one of the required areas. Another common reason for rejection: vague feedback examples that lack concrete technical detail.
Salary Insight
The role pays $96.00 per hour. That rate matches expert-level AI training work for senior engineers, a level that often corresponds to 15 or more years of hands-on chip design or semiconductor experience. Handshake sets this as a part-time contract rate, and the total project scope and any additional terms come up during the application process.
Pay and demand for Software Engineering roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$75/hour
This role
$96/hr
Most Software Engineering roles pay $55–$97 per hour. This role's pay falls inside that range.
Based on 211 similar roles that publish pay · 20 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
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Compensation
$96/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
When you apply, list the specific EDA tools you have used (Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys Design Compiler, Mentor Calibre, and any others) and quantify your chip design experience with project names, tape-out counts, or verification milestones. Show that you can write structured technical feedback by including a short sample, since the role hinges on explaining complex tradeoffs in clear prose. Highlight your years in industry and the exact areas of depth (VLSI, analog design, formal verification, and so on) to match the qualifications.
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