Principal CAD Engineer - Physical Verification

Job Title

Principal CAD Engineer - Physical Verification

Role Summary

Join Microsoft Silicon to lead Physical Verification (PV) CAD methodology, tool flows, and signoff enablement for advanced-node silicon designs. You will own PV signoff methodology end-to-end, drive scalable production-ready DRC/LVS/ERC/PERC flows, and coordinate with internal design teams, CAD, foundries, and EDA vendors.

Experience Level

Senior - expects experienced individual contributor (see Education Requirements for years-of-experience mappings).

Responsibilities

Deliver and operate PV signoff flows and methodology across multiple silicon programs; enable early signoff, debug complex issues, and drive cross-team and vendor alignment.

• Lead PV methodology enablement, CAD flow management, and Physical Design support across the Silicon organization.
• Develop, validate, and maintain PV flows covering shift-left through final signoff (DRC, LVS, ERC, antenna, metal fill, PERC, advanced checks).
• Define and maintain PV guidelines, checklists, milestones, waiver strategies, and run criteria to ensure consistent execution.
• Work with Physical Design teams to enable early PV runs and debug complex cross-tool or cross-domain issues.
• Resolve PV flow and tool issues: tool stability, runtime scalability, deck integration, waiver correctness, and cross-tool debug.
• Coordinate with CAD, Technology, and EDA partners to communicate PV requirements and influence roadmaps.
• Support PDK and node enablement so PV flows are validated and aligned with foundry decks and signoff criteria.
• Lead development and deployment of automation and AI-enabled agents to optimize PV and PERC workflows.
• Produce training, documentation, onboarding labs, and continuous improvements to automation and debug infrastructure.

Requirements

Core technical skills, operational responsibilities, and compliance expectations for the role.

• Hands-on experience with Physical Verification checks (DRC, LVS, ERC, antenna, metal fill) and PV/debug workflows.
• Proficiency with industry-standard PV tools (example: Calibre) and flow integration.
• Scripting for automation and data analysis (Tcl, Python, Perl, or equivalent).
• Strong ability to debug complex, cross-domain issues and drive fixes to closure across teams and vendors.
• Linux server administration and system automation experience (shell, Python/Perl, Ansible or equivalent).
• Experience supporting engineering teams at a semiconductor company and managing CAD/flow environments at scale.
• Experience with LDAP/IdM environments and familiarity with Azure EntraID authentication methods.
• Ability to lead collaboration with EDA vendors and foundries for tool/PDK enablement.
• Ability to meet Microsoft security screening requirements and comply with export control regulations; proof of citizenship or residency documentation may be required to access controlled technical information.
• Nice-to-have: prior work on signoff CAD methodology at advanced nodes, experience deploying AI-enabled automation agents for CAD workflows.

Education Requirements

Required: Doctorate in EE, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related field plus 3+ years technical engineering experience; OR Master's plus 6+ years; OR Bachelor's plus 8+ years; OR equivalent experience. Preferred ranges cited: BS+15 years or MS+13 years of relevant PV, Physical Design, or CAD methodology experience. Fields referenced: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical fields. "Or equivalent experience" language is explicitly allowed.

About the Company

Company: Microsoft

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

Microsoft is a global technology company that develops and sells software, services, devices, and solutions. Known for its Windows operating system, Office suite, and Azure cloud platform, Microsoft aims to empower individuals and organizations around the world to achieve more. The company fosters a culture of innovation and inclusion, focusing on delivering trusted experiences to customers and partners globally.