Principal Engineer – Physical Design

Job Title

Principal Engineer – Physical Design

Role Summary

Senior engineer on Microchip's CAD Physical Design (PD) team responsible for full-chip APR/physical implementation from netlist to GDSII. Work as part of a worldwide team on hierarchical, low-power, multi-mode, multi-corner mixed-signal designs to achieve timing, power, and physical sign-off.

Experience Level

Senior — requires 10+ years of relevant physical design experience.

Responsibilities

The role focuses on leading physical implementation activities and collaborating across geographically distributed teams to deliver production-ready designs.

• Lead full-chip physical design (APR) efforts, including hierarchical and low-power flows.
• Perform floorplanning, placement optimization, clock tree synthesis, routing, and crosstalk avoidance.
• Drive timing closure, sign-off flows, and physical verification across process corners and modes.
• Apply UPF/low-power design practices throughout the physical implementation flow.
• Use sign-off tools for STA, formal equivalence, parasitic extraction, power integrity, and DRC/LVS.
• Develop and maintain scripts and automation to improve flows and debug issues.
• Collaborate with RTL, verification, sign-off, and product teams to resolve implementation issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership for project delivery.
• Occasional travel (0–25%) to collaborate with other teams or sites.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience.

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in full-chip physical design and implementation.
• Advanced knowledge of place-and-route methodologies and VLSI logic/timing principles.
• Experience with timing closure, clock structures, and sign-off flows (STA, extraction, power integrity, physical verification).
• Practical experience with UPF and low-power design practices throughout the physical flow.
• Daily use of ICC/ICC2 or Cadence Innovus preferred.
• Experience with 40nm or 28nm technologies required; 16nm or smaller preferred.
• Proficiency in Tcl and Perl scripting for automation and flow development.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, and written/verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate across geographically distributed teams.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering (or related field). The posting specifies a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with 10+ years of relevant experience.

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.