Physical Design Engineer
Intel CorporationJob Title
Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
The Physical Design Engineer implements physical design flows for custom IP and SoC projects, translating RTL into manufacturing-ready databases and driving timing, power, and area optimizations. The role sits on the Physical Design Engineering team supporting high-performance silicon development.
Work involves hands-on use of EDA tools, verification/signoff activities, and collaboration to improve design methodology and automation.
Experience Level
Entry-level. Guidance: 0–1 years of hands-on physical design experience (internships, academic projects, coursework, or training); master’s-level candidates with no prior professional experience are acceptable.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include full physical implementation and verification of IP/SoC designs.
- Implement designs from RTL to GDSII: synthesis, floorplanning, place and route, clock tree synthesis, and static timing analysis.
- Perform verification and signoff activities, including formal equivalence, layout verification, and reliability checks.
- Analyze power integrity, noise, and timing closure results to drive design convergence.
- Optimize designs for power, frequency, and area trade-offs.
- Collaborate to develop and enhance physical design methodologies and automation flows.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience.
- Proficiency with physical design methodologies and EDA tool flows (synthesis, place and route, timing analysis).
- Familiarity with clock tree synthesis, timing closure, and coverage analysis.
- Experience or coursework using hardware description languages (Verilog or VHDL).
- Ability to analyze power, noise, and timing reports and apply fixes toward closure.
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with scripting (Perl, TCL) to automate flows and reports.
- Prior internship or project work that demonstrates hands-on physical design tasks.
Education Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field (common entry: 0–1 years experience via internships, projects, coursework). Alternatively, a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field with no prior professional experience is acceptable. No specific certifications were listed.
About the Company
Company: Intel Corporation
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, USA
Intel Corporation is a leading multinational technology company known for its innovative semiconductor solutions, including microprocessors, artificial intelligence accelerators, and memory products. Headquartered in the United States, Intel focuses on cutting-edge technology and a collaborative working environment, driving advancements in semiconductor manufacturing to meet global demands. The company emphasizes professional development and aims to shape the future of technology through groundbreaking designs.
