Physical Design Engineer (Senior/Lead) – Modem Team
QualcommJob Title
Physical Design Engineer (Senior/Lead) – Modem Team
Role Summary
Hands-on Physical Design Engineer responsible for block-level implementation, timing closure, and signoff for modem SoC designs. Works within the Hardware Engineering group and collaborates with STA, RTL, DFT, and CAD teams to meet performance, power, area (PPA) and tapeout targets.
Experience Level
Senior role. Minimum qualification guidance in the posting: Bachelor's +6 years, Master's +5 years, PhD +4 years of relevant hardware engineering experience. The posting also notes practical physical-design experience (listed as 2–6 years) from product-based companies.
Responsibilities
Accountable for block-level physical implementation and delivery of modem SoC blocks through signoff.
- Drive end-to-end physical design flow: floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis (CTS), routing, timing closure, and signoff.
- Perform block-level implementation and optimization to meet PPA targets.
- Collaborate with STA, RTL, DFT, and CAD teams to achieve design closure and tapeout readiness.
- Debug and resolve implementation issues using Synopsys Fusion Compiler and related tools.
- Develop automation and improve flows using Tcl and shell scripting.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience for successful performance in this role.
- Strong hands-on experience in floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, timing closure, and signoff at block level.
- Expertise with Synopsys Fusion Compiler (FC) or Cadence Innovus and implementation flows.
- Proficiency in Tcl and shell scripting for flow automation.
- Good understanding of STA, MMMC, IR/EM, DRC/LVS, and physical verification concepts.
- Practical block-level implementation experience and command-level knowledge of FC/Innovus tools.
- Experience with advanced technology nodes and full-chip/tapeout environments.
- Strong debugging, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Education Requirements
Posting specifies degree-based minimums: Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, ECE, EE, VLSI, Microelectronics, engineering, or related technical fields. It lists B.E./M.E. in ECE, EE, VLSI, Microelectronics (or related) and ties degree level to years of experience (Bachelor's +6 years; Master's +5 years; PhD +4 years).
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.
