Physical Design Staff Engineer

Job Title

Physical Design Staff Engineer

Role Summary

Work on enablement of advanced process nodes as part of Qualcomm Dtech in Cork. Lead physical design for critical testchip blocks and deliver digital sensor IP for mobile and compute SoCs. The role requires hands-on physical design, custom layout and automation skills, cross-site collaboration, and managing/mentoring a team of physical design engineers.

Experience Level

Senior level - typically requires 7+ years of industry experience (insights indicate hires often have 8+ years).

Responsibilities

The role's primary responsibilities include:

• Lead physical design and floorplanning of critical blocks on testchips and SoC subsystems.
• Deliver digital sensor IP: custom layout, integration, verification, and sign-off for mobile and compute domains.
• Implement place-and-route (PNR), static timing analysis (STA), and timing closure flows for advanced nodes.
• Perform physical verification and sign-off (DRC/LVS/ERC) and address ECOs and silicon issues.
• Use SPICE simulation and characterization to validate custom circuits and interfaces.
• Develop and maintain automation and scripts to improve PD flows and productivity.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (design, verification, CAD, silicon test) across sites.
• Manage, mentor, and review the work of physical design engineers.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience:

• Proven experience with PNR, STA, and physical verification on advanced process nodes.
• Solid understanding of physical design fundamentals and custom circuit layout techniques.
• Hands-on experience with EDA tools such as Innovus, PrimeTime, Calibre, Redhawk, and Virtuoso.
• Familiarity with formal verification at block level (CLP/LEC).
• Proficiency in scripting/programming for automation (TCL, Python, Perl, SKILL).
• Experience leading projects or small engineering teams.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with sensor IP development, testchip work, and SoC integration.
• Experience with power, reliability or sign-off related workflows.

Education Requirements

Source references technical degrees and equivalent-experience language: BE/B.Tech, Bachelor of Science/Engineering, M.Tech/Master's, and PhD in Science, Engineering or related technical fields. Degree-to-experience mappings in the posting: Bachelor's +4 years, Master's +3 years, PhD +2 years; one line also referenced BE/B.Tech/M.Tech or equivalent with a minimum of 7 years. Equivalent practical experience is accepted.

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.