Senior CPU Core Physical Design Engineer
Intel CorporationJob Title
Senior CPU Core Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Member of the US CPU physical design team responsible for implementing high-performance, low-power CPU designs from RTL to GDS. The role leads physical implementation, verification/signoff, and cross-disciplinary collaboration with logic, circuit, architecture, and EDA teams to prepare CPU designs for manufacturing.
Experience Level
Senior level. See Education Requirements for the specific years-of-experience guidance tied to degree level (Bachelor's or Master's).
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include end-to-end CPU physical implementation, verification, and optimization.
- Perform physical design implementation from RTL to GDS: synthesis, place-and-route, clock tree synthesis, floorplanning, and layout preparation for manufacturing.
- Lead static timing analysis, power/clock distribution design, reliability analysis, and power/noise analysis for CPU designs.
- Conduct verification and signoff: formal equivalence, static timing signoff, power integrity (static and dynamic), layout verification, electrical rule checking, and structural checks.
- Analyze results and recommend microarchitecture and implementation changes to improve power, frequency, and area.
- Collaborate closely with logic, circuit, architecture, design-for-test teams, and EDA vendors to develop and enhance tool capabilities and automation flows.
- Contribute to development and improvement of physical design methodologies and flow automation.
Requirements
Minimum technical skills and experience required for initial consideration; degree-related experience details are in Education Requirements.
- 4+ years experience in VLSI circuit design and synthesis.
- 4+ years experience in static timing analysis (STA) and timing closure.
- 4+ years experience in low-power design techniques and multiple power-domain analysis.
- CPU-specific physical design expertise: clock design, structured placement and routing, synthesis, and DFT considerations.
- Strong problem solving and tolerance for ambiguity; ability to work cross-functionally.
- Preferred (plus): experience with x86 CPU architecture and scripting in Tcl/Perl/Python.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or any STEM-related field plus 6+ years of relevant experience, OR Master's degree in those fields plus 4+ years of relevant experience. (The posting specifies degree fields above; no additional certifications were listed.)
About the Company
Company: Intel Corporation
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, USA
Intel Corporation is a leading multinational technology company known for its innovative semiconductor solutions, including microprocessors, artificial intelligence accelerators, and memory products. Headquartered in the United States, Intel focuses on cutting-edge technology and a collaborative working environment, driving advancements in semiconductor manufacturing to meet global demands. The company emphasizes professional development and aims to shape the future of technology through groundbreaking designs.
