Principal Engineer – Physical Design
MicrochipJob Title
Principal Engineer – Physical Design
Role Summary
Lead full-chip APR/physical implementation (netlist-to-GDSII) activities on Microchip’s CAD Physical Design team. Focus on floorplanning, placement optimization, clock tree synthesis, routing, timing closure and sign-off for hierarchical, low-power, multi-mode mixed-signal designs.
Work with a worldwide team to define and execute physical implementation methodologies, drive sign-off readiness, and mentor other engineers.
Experience Level
Senior-level — typically requires 10+ years of relevant physical design experience.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities for this role include technical leadership of physical implementation and cross-team collaboration.
- Lead full-chip APR and physical implementation: floorplanning, placement optimization, CTS, routing, and timing closure.
- Define and run sign-off flows (STA, formal equivalence, parasitic extraction, power integrity, physical verification).
- Apply and extend low-power methodologies (UPF) across the physical design flow for multi-mode/multi-corner designs.
- Resolve signal integrity and crosstalk issues; ensure manufacturable routing and DFM compliance.
- Develop and maintain automation and scripts to improve physical implementation productivity.
- Collaborate with RTL, verification, CAD, and foundry teams to meet design goals and resolve issues.
- Mentor and provide technical direction to distributed engineering teams.
Requirements
Key technical must-haves and preferred skills.
- 10+ years of hands-on experience in physical design flows and full-chip implementation.
- Advanced knowledge of place-and-route methodologies, VLSI logic principles, clock structures, and timing closure.
- Experience with sign-off tools for STA, formal equivalence, parasitic extraction, power integrity, and physical verification.
- Practical experience with UPF and low-power physical design practices.
- 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.
- Strong problem-solving skills, and excellent written and verbal communication; able to collaborate across geographically distributed teams.
- Travel: 0–25%.
- Physical requirements: primarily sedentary work (approx. 80% sitting), some walking/standing.
Education Requirements
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering. The posting specifies these degrees; no alternative "equivalent experience" language or certifications were stated.
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.
