Principal Physical Design Engineer - Physical Design (ACE US)
NXP SemiconductorsJob Title
Principal Physical Design Engineer - Physical Design (ACE US)
Role Summary
Lead end-to-end physical design implementation for advanced SoC products, owning RTL-to-silicon delivery and meeting PPA targets. Work within the Physical Design/ACE team to drive methodology, automation, and delivery for advanced process nodes.
Experience Level
Senior level. Requires 10+ years of experience in ASIC/SoC physical design.
Responsibilities
Deliver and optimize physical implementation across complex designs and drive team and methodology improvements.
- Own physical design flow: floorplan, synthesis, place & route, CTS, routing, STA, PDN/PDV and signoff to tapeout.
- Drive timing, power, IR/EM, DRC/LVS closure and ensure production readiness.
- Optimize PPA (power, performance, area) across complex SoCs.
- Define and deploy physical design methodologies, automation, and tool/flow improvements for advanced nodes (5nm and beyond).
- Mentor engineers, provide technical leadership, and report status to senior leadership.
- Collaborate with architecture, RTL, verification, product teams, EDA vendors and IP providers; support post-silicon bring-up and yield ramp activities.
Requirements
Core technical skills and experience required. Degree requirements are listed under Education Requirements below.
- 10+ years of ASIC/SoC physical design experience (RTL-to-GDSII implementation).
- Practical experience with Cadence and/or Synopsys implementation tool flows.
- Floorplanning, synthesis, place-and-route, CTS, routing, STA and signoff experience.
- Physical verification knowledge (DRC/LVS/ERC) and PDN/IR/EM closure practices.
- Experience with advanced node implementation (≤16nm, 5nm preferred).
- Low-power design experience (UPF/CLP) and power-optimization techniques.
- Scripting skills in Python, TCL and/or Perl for automation.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with high-reliability SoCs, AI-driven design methodologies, or advanced automation tools.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or a related technical field.
About the Company
Company: NXP Semiconductors
Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands
NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.
