Graduate CPU Physical Implementation Engineer
ArmJob Title
Graduate CPU Physical Implementation Engineer
Role Summary
Join Arm's CPU physical implementation team in Sophia Antipolis to help implement next-generation processors at advanced process nodes (3nm and below). The team works from synthesis to GDSII, focusing on timing, power, and area trade-offs and implementation flow improvements.
This is a graduate role within a design centre working closely with micro-architecture and standard-cell teams to deliver production-quality CPU IP.
Experience Level
Entry-level / Graduate. Intended for recent graduates or candidates on track to complete a degree; internships or equivalent project experience acceptable.
Responsibilities
Core duties include owning implementation steps and enabling micro-architecture improvements.
- Drive physical implementation tasks across synthesis, floorplanning, placement & routing, static timing analysis, IR drop analysis, and equivalence checking up to GDSII.
- Identify critical paths and timing bottlenecks; propose trade-offs between frequency, IPC, power, and area.
- Produce Power/Performance/Area (PPA) metrics and feed results into micro-architecture decisions.
- Evaluate and improve existing tools and automation; trial new tools to enhance flow and quality.
- Collaborate with micro-architecture, standard cell, and macro designers to meet area, frequency, and power targets.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and practical experience.
- Practical exposure to synthesis, floor-planning, power planning, clock tree synthesis, and place-and-route tools through projects or internships.
- Understanding of power vs performance vs area trade-offs in CMOS design.
- Familiarity with CPU micro-architecture concepts such as caches, MMU, and pipelines.
- Ability to manage and prioritise own workload and tasks; good interpersonal skills.
Nice-to-have:
- Knowledge of UPF (power domain management), DFT basics, and scripting for automation (Python, Perl, Tcl).
- Experience working in UNIX/Linux and with source control (especially Git).
- Ability to work in French and English.
Education Requirements
Hold or be on track to hold a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. Candidates with alternative degrees may be considered depending on experience; equivalent practical experience is acceptable.
About the Company
Company: Arm
Headquarters: Cambridge, United Kingdom
ARM is a global leader in semiconductor and software design, driving innovation in computing technology. The company specializes in designing processors and systems that provide the essential building blocks for electronic devices. ARM's architecture is widely used in smartphones, servers, and IoT devices, and its collaborative culture fosters bold thinking, diversity, and high-impact benefits for its talented workforce.
