NPU Physical Design Engineer (Staff/Sr Staff)
QualcommJob Title
NPU Physical Design Engineer (Staff/Sr Staff)
Role Summary
Own placement-and-route (PNR) implementation and signoff for Hexagon NPU blocks on advanced process nodes. Work within Hardware Engineering and collaborate with RTL, timing, power and verification teams to meet performance, power and area targets.
Experience Level
Senior role — target candidates with approximately 8–12 years of relevant PNR/physical design experience; strong experience in advanced nodes (4nm–10nm) and signoff flows is expected.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include:
- Full ownership of PNR implementation: floorplanning, placement, clock-tree synthesis (CTS), routing and post-route closure.
- Drive signoff activities: static timing analysis (STA), power analysis, floorplan verification (FV), low-power verification (PV) and other signoff flows.
- Optimize timing, power and area through placement/CTS and other physical-design optimizations.
- Collaborate with timing, power, physical verification, ECO and RTL teams to resolve physical design issues.
- Develop and maintain automation and scripts (Perl/TCL) on Unix/Linux to support PNR and signoff flows.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience:
- 8–12 years of hands-on PNR/physical design experience in advanced nodes (e.g., 4nm / 5nm / 7nm / 10nm).
- Proven experience with floorplanning, placement, CTS and post-route closure.
- Signoff experience: STA, power analysis, physical verification, and PDN/LEC/CLP considerations.
- Strong Unix/Linux skills and scripting in Perl and/or TCL for automation.
- Analytical problem-solving and ability to drive closure across cross-functional teams.
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of deliverables.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with Hexagon NPU or similar AI accelerator blocks.
- Familiarity with commercial EDA tools for PNR and signoff at advanced nodes.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field with 4+ years of hardware engineering experience; OR Master's degree in those fields with 3+ years; OR PhD in those fields with 2+ years. Related degrees or equivalent practical experience are acceptable as described in the posting.
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.
