AI/ML-driven ASIC Design and Implementation Automation Engineer

Job Title

AI/ML-driven ASIC Design and Implementation Automation Engineer

Role Summary

Work in Advanced Chip Engineering (ACE) to research, prototype, and integrate AI/ML techniques into VLSI CAD flows to improve power, performance, area, and design quality for SoC and IP teams. Collaborate with academic partners and multiple internal engineering teams to evaluate and pilot automation on real designs.

Experience Level

Entry-level / Early career — role expects approximately 1–2 years of relevant experience in AI/ML and software development.

Responsibilities

Short list of primary duties:

• Research and evaluate state-of-the-art AI/ML methods (GenAI, reinforcement learning, GNNs, CNNs) for VLSI CAD applications.
• Develop prototype solutions and pilots that apply AI/ML to real SoC/IP implementation and optimization problems.
• Integrate automation into existing design and implementation flows to improve PPA and quality.
• Collaborate with architecture, IP, verification, and implementation teams across sites to define requirements and validate methods on target technologies.
• Maintain and extend software tooling and scripts used for experiments and automation (Python/C++).
• Document results, analyze experiments, and present findings to engineering and research partners.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience:

• Strong software development experience in Python and C++.
• 1–2 years of hands-on experience applying AI/ML techniques (LLMs, CNN, RNN, GraphNN) to real-world optimization or engineering problems.
• Solid knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and software development/debug workflows.
• Experience with Unix/Linux environments and revision control systems (e.g., Git, BitBucket).
• Strong analytical problem-solving ability and good verbal/written communication skills.

Nice-to-have / desirable:

• Understanding of design constraints and physical implementation concepts (SDC, clocks, CDC, RDC, static timing analysis, UPF).
• Prior experience in VLSI CAD methodology and EDA tool development.
• Familiarity with HDL (SystemVerilog, Verilog, VHDL) and front-end or physical design flows.
• Experience with design revision control tools (DesignSync, Git), build/make systems, and CI/CD tools (Splunk, Jenkins, LSF).

Education Requirements

BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related discipline with a strong software background.

About the Company

Company: NXP Semiconductors

Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.