Senior Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Senior Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Join the VLSI physical implementation team to deliver block-level RTL-to-GDSII physical design and signoff for complex SoC/IP blocks. The role focuses on achieving power, performance, area (PPA) and reliability targets in advanced nodes while collaborating with RTL, STA, DFT and full-chip teams.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires 3–5 years of ASIC physical design experience.

Responsibilities

Accountable for block-level physical implementation, timing closure and signoff while improving methodology and automation.

• Execute floorplanning, power grid design, placement, optimization, CTS, routing and post-route optimization.
• Drive timing convergence across MCMM scenarios in coordination with STA teams.
• Achieve signoff: setup/hold closure, DRC/LVS clean signoff, IR drop and EM compliance.
• Debug and resolve congestion, SI/crosstalk issues and functional/physical ECOs.
• Collaborate with RTL/design, DFT, packaging and full-chip integration teams to improve QoR and test readiness.
• Develop and maintain automation and methodology improvements via scripting.
• Follow and enforce company design, quality and reliability standards.

Requirements

Essential technical skills and tools expected for the role.

Must-have:

• 3–5 years of ASIC physical design experience.
• Strong understanding of the physical design flow (floorplan → P&R → signoff).
• Fundamentals of static timing analysis and CMOS digital design.
• Hands-on experience with industry EDA tools (Cadence Innovus/Genus or Synopsys ICC2/Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime).
• Scripting skills in Tcl, Python, or Shell.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience in advanced nodes (16nm and below).
• Knowledge of low-power flows (UPF/CPF) and multi-voltage/multi-domain designs.
• Experience with high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, Automotive SerDes).
• Familiarity with physical verification tools (Calibre, Pegasus).

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronics, Electrical Engineering or Microelectronics.

About the Company

Company: NXP Semiconductors

Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.