Physical Design Engineer, Staff
QualcommJob Title
Physical Design Engineer, Staff
Role Summary
Staff Physical Design Engineer responsible for backend physical implementation of ASIC/SoC IP and products. Works on floorplanning, placement & routing, timing closure, power integrity, and physical signoff while collaborating with front-end, verification, and system teams.
Experience Level
Senior — Staff level. Typical expectation: 7+ years of physical design experience.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
- Drive the backend implementation flow from floorplan to signoff.
- Perform floor-planning, block partitioning, and power planning.
- Support front-end teams on PPA (performance, power, area) optimization.
- Use EDA tools and LLM-assisted flows to improve PPA.
- Place & route with focus on power and area optimization.
- Clock tree synthesis, inspection, and optimization.
- Static timing analysis and timing closure.
- Physical verification and fixing (DRC, ANT, DFM, LVS, ERC).
- Perform EM/IR signoff and resolve power integrity issues.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience; nice-to-have items listed separately.
- Must-have: 7+ years of physical design experience including P&R, CTS, STA, and timing closure.
- Experience with physical verification flows and fixing DRC/LVS/DFM/ERC issues.
- Experience with EM/IR analysis and power integrity signoff.
- Proficient with physical implementation EDA tools and scripting for automation.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills; effective cross-functional collaboration.
- Detail-oriented and self-managed with high-quality deliverables.
- Nice-to-have: Low-power design techniques, SoC-level experience, advanced technology-node experience, familiarity using LLMs to assist EDA workflows.
Education Requirements
Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering (or related field) plus 2+ years ASIC experience; alternatively a Master’s with 1+ year or PhD in Science or Engineering. Equivalent practical experience is acceptable. Degrees mentioned include Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD in engineering/technical fields (electrical, computer engineering or related).
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.
