Senior Applications Engineer, RTL to GDS

Job Title

Senior Applications Engineer, RTL to GDS

Role Summary

Provide technical support and solutions across the RTL-to-GDS flow for Synopsys customers, focusing on verification, implementation, and ECO delivery using Synopsys tools. Work with customers and internal R&D to diagnose issues, deliver fixes, and drive tool improvements.

Experience Level

Senior — typically 5–8 years of hands-on ASIC or CAD engineering experience, with substantial RTL2GDS and implementation exposure.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include customer-facing engineering support, debugging, automation, and collaboration with product teams.

• Support customers through functional verification and physical design implementation using Synopsys tools (Formality, Formality‑ECO, Fusion Compiler).
• Debug complex timing, power, and area closure issues at advanced process nodes (5nm, 3nm and similar).
• Deliver final ECO solutions that meet customer tapeout schedules while preserving design integrity.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts in Python, Perl, and TCL to streamline customer workflows.
• Reproduce customer issues with internal R&D, validate tool behavior, and provide actionable feedback to engineering teams.
• Present technical recommendations to senior customer engineers and design leads during critical project phases.
• Work across the full RTL2GDS flow, from front-end verification through back-end implementation and signoff.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; optional items noted as nice-to-have.

• 5+ years of hands-on ASIC or CAD engineering experience focused on RTL2GDS flows, verification, and place-and-route.
• Direct experience with functional verification and physical implementation workflows.
• Working knowledge of Formality, Formality‑ECO, Fusion Compiler, or equivalent EDA verification/physical design tools.
• Proficiency scripting in Python, Perl, and TCL to create automations and troubleshooting utilities.
• Strong written and spoken English and ability to communicate technical concepts to senior engineers.
• Comfort engaging directly with customers, including onsite support and remote collaboration.
• Problem-solving mindset: ability to analyze data, prioritize under pressure, and drive to resolution.
• Nice-to-have: experience with advanced process nodes (7nm, 5nm, 3nm) and experience resolving closure issues at those nodes.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field is specified; the posting indicates 5–8 years of experience as part of the expected qualifications.

About the Company

Company: Synopsys

Headquarters: Mountain View, California, USA

Synopsys is a leading company in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP solutions. It provides tools and services for designing and verifying complex semiconductor devices and systems. The company plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor industry, helping engineers innovate and deliver higher-quality products faster. Synopsys is committed to advancing technology standards and offers a range of software and hardware solutions to its clients globally.