Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Design and implement custom IP and SoC physical layouts from RTL to GDS, ensuring manufacturable databases that meet timing, power, and area targets. Work within a central engineering team supporting product enablement, custom ASIC, and foundry enablement.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to perform implementation, verification/signoff, and flow automation to improve design quality and throughput.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Typical experience expectations from the posting: 3+ years with a Bachelor's, 2+ years with a Master's, or a PhD (see Education Requirements for details).

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include implementing physical designs and supporting signoff and methodology improvement.

• Perform full RTL-to-GDS physical implementation for custom IP and SoC designs.
• Execute synthesis, floorplanning, placement & routing, clock tree synthesis, and timing closure.
• Run verification and signoff tasks: static timing analysis, formal equivalence, power integrity, and layout verification.
• Analyze results and resolve issues related to timing, reliability, and design structure.
• Optimize designs for power, performance, and area using industry-standard EDA tools.
• Develop and refine methodologies and automation to improve flow efficiency and quality.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address design challenges and deliver robust solutions.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items listed separately.

• Hands-on RTL-to-GDS implementation experience: synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure.
• Proficiency with industry-standard EDA tools (examples: Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor Graphics) for physical design tasks.
• Experience with static timing analysis, floorplanning, and power integrity analysis.
• Knowledge of low-power design techniques and methodologies.
• Experience with verification and signoff activities (formal equivalence, layout verification).
• Ability to develop design automation and improve physical design flows.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in cross-functional teams.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's (BS) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field with 3+ years of physical design experience; OR Master's (MS) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field with 2+ years of physical design experience; OR PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. Fields: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical fields.

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.