CPU Physical Design Engineer
QualcommJob Title
CPU Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Work on full-chip physical implementation and sign-off for high-performance CPU blocks in premium-tier Snapdragon SoCs. The role covers floorplanning through GDS, PPA optimization, timing closure, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to meet aggressive performance, power and area targets.
Experience Level
Senior — role expects experienced candidates; the team prefers engineers with 7+ years of relevant physical design experience for CPU designs.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include hands-on physical implementation, PPA optimization, and cross-team engineering coordination.
- Perform physical implementation from floorplan to GDS for high-speed CPU designs.
- Drive timing closure and STA activities; optimize congestion, routing and power trade-offs.
- Design and implement CTS for high-speed, low-power designs.
- Develop and apply power analysis and power integrity checks; support DRC closure.
- Create and improve automation and flows (Perl/TCL) for physical design tasks.
- Analyze data/statistics to track benchmarks, identify issues, and drive improvements.
- Collaborate with architects, RTL teams, verification and CAD to meet PPA targets.
- Research and propose new methodologies to push PPA limits for future CPU generations.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience; nice-to-have items listed separately.
- Must-have: Strong, demonstrable experience across the entire PD flow (netlist to GDS): floorplanning, power planning, placement, CTS, routing and optimization.
- Proven expertise in STA and timing closure methodologies for high-speed designs.
- Hands-on experience with physical implementation tools at advanced process nodes (7nm and below).
- Expertise in clock tree synthesis (CTS) for high-speed and low-power designs.
- Experience with power analysis and power integrity checks; familiarity with DRC closure.
- Strong automation skills (Perl, TCL) and ability to develop/support PD flows.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary environment.
- Nice-to-have: Prior CPU-specific physical design experience; experience developing innovative PPA methodologies and detailed technical documentation.
Education Requirements
Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Science, Engineering, or a related field with corresponding experience: Bachelor's +4 years, Master's +3 years, PhD +2 years; equivalent practical experience will be considered.
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
