Senior Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Senior Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Perform physical design and timing closure from netlist to GDS for digital and mixed-signal ASICs. Work closely with front-end, mixed-signal, and verification teams to integrate macros and ensure timing, power, and manufacturability targets are met.

This role focuses on hands-on implementation, physical verification, and flow automation to deliver tapeouts on schedule.

Experience Level

Senior. Typical experience: 5+ years in physical design for candidates with a BS, or 2+ years with an MS; equivalent practical experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

Key duties include implementation, verification, and collaboration across teams:

• Drive physical design implementation and timing closure from synthesized netlist through GDS generation.
• Integrate analog I/O and macros with mixed-signal teams.
• Perform multi-mode, multi-corner timing closure and signoff analyses.
• Run RC extraction, crosstalk analysis, IR drop and EM analysis; address issues found.
• Create and update timing constraints in collaboration with front-end teams.
• Perform physical verification checks (DRC, ERC, LVS, antenna) and resolve violations.
• Debug timing violations and implement functional and timing ECOs; participate in formal verification where applicable.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience:

• Hands-on experience with Synopsys or Cadence place-and-route and timing tools.
• Proven track record in physical design flows and timing closure across multiple modes and corners.
• Experience with physical verification flows (DRC/LVS/ERC/antenna) and signoff preparation.
• Ability to develop methodologies and automate flows using scripting and tool integration.
• Strong debugging skills for timing, power, and signal integrity issues; experience implementing ECOs.

Nice-to-have:

• Scan insertion and DFT knowledge.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering (BS) with ~5+ years' relevant experience, or a Master's degree (MS) with ~2+ years' relevant experience; equivalent practical experience accepted. No specific certifications required.

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.