Senior PDK Engineer
NVIDIAJob Title
Senior PDK Engineer
Role Summary
Join NVIDIA's Advanced Technologies Group to manage Process Design Kit (PDK) delivery and enablement between NVIDIA, foundry partners, and CAD tool vendors. The role focuses on PDK incoming checks, version management, issue resolution, and coordinating PDK schedules for test-chip and product tapeouts.
Hybrid role based in Santa Clara, CA. The position combines hands-on technical work and cross-team communication with foundries and tool vendors.
Experience Level
Senior. Typical experience expectation: B.S. in Electrical Engineering plus ~10 years' relevant experience, or M.S. in Electrical Engineering plus ~7 years' relevant experience; equivalent practical experience accepted.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include PDK planning, validation, and cross-organizational coordination.
- Align PDK development and delivery schedules with foundry partners to meet tapeout milestones.
- Download PDKs and perform incoming validation and compatibility checks.
- Manage PDK versions and distribution between foundries and NVIDIA design/CAD teams.
- Serve as the primary NVIDIA contact for foundry PDK teams on issues and new requests.
- Work with CAD tool vendors to identify and resolve tool bugs and enable new features.
- Investigate and resolve PDK-related issues affecting design signoff (DRC/LVS/ERC).
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and attributes.
- Hands-on knowledge of PDK structure and PDK development processes.
- Experience with DRC/LVS flows and signoff-related toolchains.
- Experience with circuit-level simulation and analysis: HSPICE, RC extraction, EM analysis.
- Working knowledge of fab process steps, mask generation, testing, and qualification.
- Understanding of MOSFET device behavior, CMOS layout practices, and VLSI design fundamentals.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; customer/support mindset for design teams.
- Ability to coordinate with external foundry teams and CAD tool vendors under tapeout schedules.
- Nice-to-have: experience with both analog and digital IP design.
Education Requirements
B.S. in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent practical experience) with ~10 years' relevant experience, or M.S. in Electrical Engineering with ~7 years' relevant experience. Related technical degrees or equivalent industry experience in electrical/electronic engineering or VLSI are acceptable.
About the Company
Company: NVIDIA
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, USA
NVIDIA is a global leader in accelerated computing, renowned for its innovative solutions in AI and digital twins that transform diverse industries. The company specializes in networking technologies, providing end-to-end InfiniBand and Ethernet solutions for servers and storage that optimize performance and scalability. NVIDIA serves sectors such as high-performance computing, enterprise data centers, and cloud computing, constantly reinventing its products and services to stay ahead in the market.
