Chip Design Engineer Jobs in Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver's chip design work traces back to PMC-Sierra, founded in 1983 and for years the anchor of British Columbia's semiconductor industry. That history still shapes the hiring: networking ASICs, storage controllers, and wireless SoCs are what most teams here build.
Marvell runs a design center in Burnaby focused on networking silicon. Microchip Technology absorbed the old Microsemi and PMC-Sierra teams and keeps a Burnaby site for storage and communications ICs. Sierra Wireless builds embedded and IoT modules, and a set of smaller fabless startups fills in around them. Lattice Semiconductor keeps a Vancouver team as well, and both Synopsys and Cadence run local offices, so EDA and applications roles show up next to the design jobs.
Most openings want the usual chops: RTL design, verification, physical design, or analog and mixed-signal work, often at 28nm and below. Storage controller roles lean on interface IP and firmware-adjacent verification. Networking ASIC roles pull in high-speed SerDes and packet-processing datapath design. If you have shipped networking or storage silicon before, the job descriptions will read like your last three roles.
The local talent comes largely from UBC, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Victoria, each with VLSI and embedded systems tracks in electrical and computer engineering. That steady supply of graduates is part of why the design centers stay put. AI edge inference has also started to arrive, with teams like D-Matrix opening in the region.
British Columbia sits close to the Asia-Pacific supply chain, which helps teams coordinate with fabs and packaging partners across the Pacific. Canada's immigration pathways, including Express Entry and the Global Talent Stream, also make relocation faster than the US route for many engineers. The city tends to sell itself on the rest: mountains, ocean, and a milder winter than most Canadian tech hubs.
If you are comparing Canadian options, Toronto posts more openings right now, thanks to AMD's legacy ATI group and the Tenstorrent AI chip scene; our roundup of semiconductor design jobs in Toronto covers that market. For pay by role and level, check the semiconductor salary guide before you negotiate.
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FAQ
What semiconductor companies hire chip design engineers in Vancouver?
The main employers in Vancouver and Burnaby are Marvell (networking ASIC design), Microchip Technology (storage and communications ICs), Sierra Wireless (IoT modules), and Lattice Semiconductor. Several IC design startups and local Synopsys and Cadence offices round out the market.
What is Vancouver's semiconductor design specialty?
Vancouver has long been strongest in networking ASIC design, a legacy of PMC-Sierra (now part of Microchip Technology), along with storage controller ICs and wireless SoC work. AI edge inference is a newer addition, with companies like D-Matrix building out Vancouver design teams.
How does Vancouver compare to Toronto for semiconductor jobs?
Toronto currently lists more semiconductor jobs, driven by AMD's legacy ATI design center and the Tenstorrent AI chip scene. Vancouver's strength is networking ASIC and storage IC work, especially at Marvell and Microchip. Both cities offer a high quality of life and Canadian immigration advantages.