Principal Engineer – Physical Design
MicrochipJob Title
Principal Engineer – Physical Design
Role Summary
Lead physical implementation (netlist-to-GDSII) activities for full-chip designs on Microchip's CAD Physical Design team. Work across hierarchical, low-power, multi-mode, multi-corner mixed-signal projects and coordinate with global design and verification teams.
Experience Level
Senior — requires substantial experience; posting requests 10+ years of relevant physical design experience.
Responsibilities
The principal engineer will own and execute full-chip APR/physical implementation tasks and provide technical leadership across teams.
- Lead full-chip physical design activities (floorplanning, placement, timing closure, CTS, routing).
- Develop and apply place-and-route methodologies and optimization strategies for timing, power, and area.
- Perform sign-off flows including static timing analysis, parasitic extraction, formal equivalence, power integrity, and physical verification.
- Implement UPF / low-power design practices through the physical design flow.
- Create and maintain scripts and automation to support design closure and tool flows.
- Debug and resolve complex physical implementation issues and crosstalk/timing challenges.
- Collaborate with cross-functional and geographically distributed teams to meet design goals.
- Mentor engineers and contribute to process and methodology improvements.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills, tools, and experience.
- 10+ years of relevant physical design experience working on full-chip implementations.
- Hands-on experience in floorplanning, placement optimization, clock tree synthesis, routing, crosstalk avoidance, and physical verification.
- Advanced knowledge of place-and-route methodologies and VLSI timing/clocking principles.
- Proven experience with sign-off tools: static timing analysis, formal equivalence, parasitic extraction, power integrity, and physical verification.
- Daily use of ICC/ICC2 or Innovus preferred.
- Experience with 40nm or 28nm technologies required; 16nm or smaller preferred.
- Proficiency in Tcl and Perl scripting is essential.
- Strong communication, problem-solving, and cross-team collaboration skills.
- Travel: 0%–25% as required by projects.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering is specified in the posting.
About the Company
Company: Microchip
Headquarters: Chandler, Arizona, USA
Microchip is a leading semiconductor company focused on developing innovative solutions to enhance the human experience. With a commitment to empowering innovation, Microchip prioritizes the value of its employees by fostering a culture that supports their growth and contributions.
