RTL Front-End Flow Optimization (CAD)

Job Title

RTL Front-End Flow Optimization (CAD)

Role Summary

Engineer role within Qualcomm's hardware engineering group to build AI-driven tools that improve and automate RTL front-end design and implementation flows. The team focuses on integrating agentic AI frameworks and open-source tooling to streamline RTL-to-GDS tasks and reduce manual effort.

Experience Level

Mid-level. The position expects experienced engineers (approximately 4–6+ years of relevant hardware engineering or related experience as indicated by the role).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include designing, implementing, and maintaining automation and AI-driven workflows that support RTL front-end flows.

• Develop AI-based tools and agents to optimize RTL design and front-end flow execution (analysis, checks, flow tasks).
• Design and maintain agentic workflows using modern open-source frameworks (e.g., LangChain, CrewAI, LangGraph or similar).
• Create and improve automation and scripting that integrates with design tools and existing engineering workflows.
• Write, review, and maintain Python code with emphasis on readability, testability, and maintainability.
• Rapidly evaluate and adopt new AI packages and best practices as the ecosystem evolves.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and practical experience for immediate contribution.

• Strong hands-on experience with Python scripting and automation; comfortable writing and reviewing code.
• Basic understanding of VLSI RTL → GDS flow and common front-end stages (design checks, synthesis, STA, CDC, formal, DV).
• Practical familiarity with agentic AI frameworks and tooling (LangChain, CrewAI, LangGraph, or similar open-source stacks).
• Ability to work independently, iterate quickly, and learn new tools and packages fast.
• Nice to have: experience applying LLM-driven techniques to large SystemVerilog codebases and building multi-agent systems (supervisor/worker patterns, tool-calling, memory/context, RAG).
• Nice to have: experience integrating automation with engineering infrastructure and reference flows.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field with 6+ years relevant experience; OR Master's degree in those fields with 5+ years; OR PhD in those fields with 4+ years. Equivalent practical experience in hardware engineering may be acceptable as stated in the posting.

About the Company

Company: Qualcomm

Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States

Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.