Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Implement and sign off physical design (PNR) for Qualcomm SoCs at advanced process nodes. Member of the ASIC/Physical Design team in Noida responsible for floorplanning, placement, CTS, signoff, and verification to deliver high-performance, low-power silicon.

Own PNR flow steps, collaborate with verification and RTL teams, and ensure timing, power and manufacturability targets are met.

Experience Level

Mid-level; typically requires 2+ years of relevant hardware/PNR experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include implementation and signoff of SoC/block physical design.

• Lead PNR implementation: floorplanning, placement, clock-tree synthesis (CTS), routing, and post-route optimizations.
• Execute signoff activities including static timing analysis (STA), power analysis, formal verification (FV), and low-power verification.
• Optimize placement and CTS to achieve timing and power targets in advanced nodes.
• Analyze and resolve timing, power, and layout issues across teams during implementation.
• Develop and maintain scripts/tools to automate PNR and signoff flows.
• Document implementation decisions and provide handoff materials for verification and tapeout.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience.

• 2+ years hardware engineering experience with PNR flow on advanced process nodes (e.g., 4nm/5nm/7nm/10nm).
• Hands-on experience with floorplanning, placement, PNR and STA flows; placement/CTS optimization.
• Knowledge of signoff domains such as LEC/CLP/PDN, timing signoff and power analysis.
• Proficient with Unix/Linux and scripting (Perl, TCL or similar) for flow automation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; quick learner comfortable debugging complex issues.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with EDA tools (Cadence, Synopsys) and SoC tapeout processes.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field.

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.