Applications Engineering, Staff Engineer
SynopsysJob Title
Applications Engineering, Staff Engineer
Role Summary
Provide advanced-node physical design expertise to customers, focusing on timing closure, methodology, automation, and onsite troubleshooting to enable successful tape-outs. Work with R&D, product management, and field teams to translate customer challenges into product improvements.
Experience Level
Senior - typically requires 5+ years of hands-on ASIC physical design experience; see Education Requirements for degree-based guidance.
Responsibilities
Primary duties include customer-facing support, methodology development, and cross-team collaboration.
- Support customer engagements on 7nm, 5nm, and below using Fusion Compiler and ICC2 to meet PPA and schedule targets.
- Develop and enhance physical design methodologies and automation with TCL, Python, and Perl.
- Debug complex implementation issues: placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, timing closure, and power optimization.
- Provide tailored methodology recommendations and deliver onsite support, training, and design reviews under tight schedules.
- Collaborate with R&D and product management to convert customer pain points into product requirements and feature enhancements.
- Contribute to AI/ML-driven design optimization initiatives and build reusable automation across engagements.
Requirements
Key skills and expectations.
- Proven hands-on ASIC physical design experience on real tape-outs.
- Proficiency with Synopsys ICC2 and Fusion Compiler; familiarity with Cadence Innovus is acceptable.
- Strong scripting and automation skills in TCL and Python; Perl experience is a plus.
- Deep understanding of advanced-node implementation challenges (FinFET behavior, multi-patterning, electromigration) and tradeoffs.
- Experience with logical and physical synthesis flows.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills for both engineering teams and management.
- Willingness to travel to customer sites on short notice to provide onsite support during critical design phases.
- Nice-to-have: experience with AI-driven optimization or machine-learning approaches applied to physical design.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field with 5+ years of ASIC physical design experience, or a Master's degree with 3+ years of experience. The posting emphasizes degree-plus-experience combinations; equivalent practical experience is implied by the experience-focused requirements.
About the Company
Company: Synopsys
Headquarters: Mountain View, California, USA
Synopsys is a leading company in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP solutions. It provides tools and services for designing and verifying complex semiconductor devices and systems. The company plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor industry, helping engineers innovate and deliver higher-quality products faster. Synopsys is committed to advancing technology standards and offers a range of software and hardware solutions to its clients globally.
