Senior Lead Physical Design Engineer
QualcommJob Title
Senior Lead Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Lead physical implementation (PNR) for Qualcomm SoCs with ownership of floorplanning, placement, CTS, post-route optimization and signoff execution. Work on advanced process nodes and collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet timing, power, and manufacturability targets.
Experience Level
Senior - typically 5+ years of hardware/physical design experience as indicated in the role qualifications.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include:
- Own PNR implementation: floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, and post-route optimization for SoC blocks.
- Execute timing signoff and verification flows (static timing analysis, power analysis, formal verification, low-power verification).
- Drive closure of timing, power, and DRC/LVS issues and coordinate fixes across design and verification teams.
- Develop and maintain automation and scripts to support PNR/STA flows using Unix/Linux, Perl, and Tcl.
- Troubleshoot implementation problems and recommend process/tool or design changes to meet goals.
Requirements
Core technical requirements and experience:
- 5+ years hardware engineering experience with physical design and PNR flows on advanced process nodes (examples: 4nm/5nm/7nm/10nm).
- Hands-on experience in floorplanning, placement, CTS, optimization, and post-route flows.
- Signoff expertise: static timing analysis (STA), power analysis, formal verification, low-power verification, and familiarity with signoff domains (LEC/CLP/PDN concepts).
- Proficiency with Unix/Linux and scripting (Perl, Tcl) for flow automation.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to learn quickly and work across teams.
- Nice-to-have: experience with power/PDN analysis tools, process-variation (PV) flows, and SoC-level integration challenges.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field plus 3+ years of ASIC design/verification/validation/integration experience; OR Master's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field plus 2+ years of such experience; OR PhD in Science, Engineering, or a related field plus 1+ year of such experience.
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.
