Hardware Research Analyst

Employment Type: Full-Time • Work Setting: In-office/Hybrid • Location: Hillsboro, Oregon (United States) • 80% onsite; US work authorization required; no visa sponsorship.

About the role

We are seeking a Hardware Research Analyst to join our team in Hillsboro, OR, producing published technical analysis of leading-edge AI and datacenter hardware. You will take products through teardown in our lab and turn physical evidence into the research the industry reads first. Each product becomes a body of published work, and you write it: the most important stories of the teardown told in technical prose, backed by the complete data and analysis. The role rewards the analyst temperament—following the industry in real time, keeping up with conferences and papers, working networks constantly, and wanting your name on research that holds up in front of the people who built the product.

Responsibilities

• Publish a complete body of work for each product, from the most important stories of the teardown through the full data and analysis
• Own products end to end: acquisition planning, teardown strategy, lab analysis, interpretation, and publication
• Analyze hardware at every level: silicon process and die architecture, packaging, memory, power delivery, interconnect, board and system design, and cost
• Set the analytical plan for each teardown; operate the toolchain and direct more specialized work as needed
• Maintain contemporaneous coverage of the industry through conferences, papers, patents, and supply-chain signals, and bring it into every report
• Build and work an expert network across the supply chain to test and sharpen conclusions
• Translate physical evidence into architectural intent, cost structure, and roadmap implications
• Contribute to the growth and expansion of the lab’s capabilities and output

Requirements

• 2+ years in hardware or silicon engineering, system architecture, or technical industry analysis is preferred; exceptional candidates at any level are encouraged to apply
• Genuine exposure to leading-edge parts
• Broad functional knowledge of AI and datacenter hardware: GPUs, CPUs, accelerators, memory, networking, power delivery, and packaging, from die to rack
• Strong technical writing with work you can show: published articles, papers, or substantial long-form technical documents
• An established research habit: you already track this industry through conferences, papers, and product launches
• Ability to reason across layers, from device and circuit through architecture, system, workload, and cost
• Hands-on experience with, or strong aptitude for, semiconductor sample preparation and analytical tools such as precision polishing, FIB, SEM, and related electron-beam, X-ray, and compositional methods

Skills

• Direct engineering experience on leading-edge silicon or systems: design, architecture, validation, silicon debug, failure analysis, or manufacturing
• Interpreting micrographs, die imagery, and electrical measurements to infer design and process characteristics
• Cost modeling: die cost, bill of materials, and total cost of ownership
• Advanced packaging knowledge (2.5D/3D integration, hybrid bonding, HBM, co-packaged optics)
• Python for data analysis and engineering tasks (image analysis, data pipelines, automation)
• A public technical writing track record or existing industry following
• Conference participation as attendee or presenter (ISSCC, IEDM, VLSI, Hot Chips, ISTFA, PAINE, ECTC, OCP)
• Strong professional network of experts

Growth Areas

• Deepen coverage of next-generation AI hardware: custom accelerators, chiplet-based designs, HBM, and optical interconnect
• Build hands-on depth across the lab’s analytical toolchain, from sample preparation through electron microscopy and compositional analysis
• Grow a public research profile through bylined reports, conference engagement, and standing with industry experts
• Strengthen collaboration with research, manufacturing, and market teams to translate findings into high-impact strategic insight
• Progress toward a lead analyst or subject matter expert role with influence over research direction, technical coverage, and industry perspective

What Makes Someone Great

• You understand hardware broadly and hold the whole stack, from transistor to rack, in view at once
• Your technical writing holds up under expert scrutiny
• You respond well to criticisms of and challenges to your technical interpretations
• You follow this industry because you want to, and it shows in what you already know
• You can tell what is real and what is artifact in physical data
• You are drawn to investigate, you ship, and you close your own loops
• You deliver on your responsibilities and support others in theirs; you treat everyone you work with as a peer and leave concepts of hierarchy at the door

About SemiAnalysis

SemiAnalysis is an independent research and analysis firm specializing in the semiconductor and AI industries. Our in-depth coverage spans the entire supply chain, from semiconductor fabrication processes to cutting-edge AI models, software, and infrastructure. We are recognized as the leading authority on the semiconductor supply chain, with the highest concentration of industry experts within one team, and a deep-rooted passion for delving into the intricacies. Our newsletters reach more than 200,000 subscribers worldwide, including senior management and c-suite leaders at the leading semiconductor and AI companies.